


In a Life

by LetsBeFrenemies



Series: Mayflower Series [1]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Bad Wolf is scary good, But our main character doesn't mean to time jump, Chula, Chula homeworld, F/M, Follows the series, I do mean slow romance, Jack is a just a friend, Jack is protective, Original Character(s), Romance, Rose is nice, Slow Romance, That doesn't mean he doesn't want to be more than friends, The Doctor is an ass, The Tardis is mean, Time Jumping, and protective, gods and goddess, with original content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-28 15:49:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 61,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8452333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetsBeFrenemies/pseuds/LetsBeFrenemies
Summary: Not everyone who travels with the Doctor wants to travel with the Doctor.





	1. Utopia: Reflections of May

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Belongs to BBC. I'm just a girl who fell in love.

**_Grab…_ **

**_…hand, May._ **

**_May, May hold..._ **

**_Together…_ **

**_Just stay…_ **

**_Hang on!_ **

**_Please, don't…_ **

**_…forever._ **

**_…love…_ **

**_…May_ ** _._

_Rain._

Was it raining? Her face was wet, but…no. No, it wasn't raining. She was crying. Why was she crying? Why was she sad? So sad. So hurt. Was she hurt? No, it hurt inside. Her…her heart _hurt_.

_Ached._

Something was missing. Something…

..

Footsteps.

All previous thoughts disappeared, _vanished_ , to another part of her subconscious; and May suddenly found herself flooded with new questions.

 _Where am I? I – I don't…_ She couldn't remember anything. The last thing she could remember was…was…

..

Voices.

May tensed, and she began to listen closely. They were too far away for her to understand what they were saying, but she could hear the voices of a man and a woman; maybe two. They were arguing, loudly. _I need to move._ She thought, panicking. _I need to hide._ She needed more time, they were even closer now. May attempted to open her eyes, but they refused to open. Her muscles, her body, refused to cooperate. She was paralyzed. May's heart thundered in chest at that whisper of a thought. Her anxiety grew. _Why can't I move?_ She began an inward struggle. Mentally throwing herself against her fleshy prison. _Move. Move. Move! Don't have enough time. No time. No time!_

She could hear them now. Three distinct individual voices: unfamiliar, new, _scary_. Maybe they wouldn't see her? Maybe she was hidden? They would continue onward, and leave her alone. Maybe they would think she was dead? Let her lie. _Please, please, please just…_

"Oh my god."

May's heart stuttered. _What do I do now?_

There was running, frantic running, and then someone was stepping near her head.

"Is she okay, Doctor?"

_Doctor? T-there is a doctor?_

There was buzzing: a loud, irritating sound.

"She's fine. She _is_ fine. She is just unconscious."

"What? How – who – would do this to her?"

May was being lifted upward, a hand grasping her shoulder pulling her against a warm body. A safe body. Everything inside May relaxed. Something that was coiled and tight inside her became nothing more than a limp noodle in these arms.

She was at peace.

"Legs? Legs can you hear me? Speak to me Legs."

Something inside her stirred, and phantasmal hands reach outward.

"She won't wake for hours, Jack. Best we go back to the Tardis and – ."

_Tardis._

May's eyes opened wide in an instant, and her dark world flooded with white light. _Tardis._ Why did that word inspire such terror inside her? Adrenaline pumped through her system, and suddenly her body was buzzing with energy. She tore away from her holder, and in a state of madness, broke free from the people that encircled her. They shouted out in surprise.

_Run. Run. Run. Danger. Danger. Weak. In danger. Run._

May had no idea what she was doing. No idea. She just knew she had to escape. It was crazy. Those people had a doctor, they could possibly help her; tell her what's going on. It was impossible though. The impossible _Tardis._

 _I've gone crazy._ She whimpered pitifully. Her mother had been right. _I finally broke._

"May! May! Stop running!"

May blinked rapidly, and she felt herself slowing to a jog, before standing still.

_How…_

"H – how -."

_…did they know…_

" – do you know…"

…her name.

"…my name?"

As their footsteps slowed, May turned fully to look at the group who had followed her, her posture stiff and uninviting. She wrapped her arms around her torso, tucking them underneath her chest as much as possible. She slouched over a little, directing a frown in their direction, her brows furrowed forward in suspicion. Until they rose abruptly, almost disappearing in her hairline, and her mouth dropped open as she gasped.

_No. No, It's…impossible._

Martha expression was a cross between confusion and concern as she looked at May with such wide _real_ eyes. She turned towards the Doctor ( _Oh my god the Doctor._ May felt sick to her stomach.) and grasped his sleeve giving it a forceful tug.

"Doctor? What's wrong with her?"

Jack – Jack-freaking-Harkness – stared her down with smile, opening his arms before taking a step forward.

May panicked and stepped back several steps. "No! Stay away!"

He froze, his smile falling, and eyes growing dark and sad. _Why was he so sad?_

"Legs? What's wrong?" he asked softly, a frown now placed on his beautiful face.

May blinked rapidly. "W-w-why do you call me that?" Lifting her eyes, she stared hesitantly at the three, displaying her confusion. "A-and how do you know my n-name?"

"May, do you know who we are?" Martha inquired, eyes misting.

May paused, and narrowed her eyes. "Yes. Y-you're Martha Jones, Jack Harkness, and the D-Doctor." She pointed to each individual after each name before holding her hand against her chest. "B-but what I want to know is how do you know _my_ name? Is this a dream?"

The dark skinned woman's eyes widened, and she grasped the Doctor's hand. "Doctor, what wrong with her?"

The Doctor, who had been a silent observer, was staring hard at May, making her insides quiver. _What's going on?_ He was the Doctor, _the_ Doctor. The kindest man, the kindest _Time Lord_ – May shivered. Why does looking at him make her entire body break out in a cold sweat?

She wanted to go home.

"I don't know." He mumbled in reply.

Jack scoffed. "Never thought I would see the day."

"I don't know – " the Doctor scowled over at his companion and pulled out his sonic screw driver ( _God, was that what it really was? Really?)_ from his breast pocket. " – but, I have an idea."

The buzzing noise again, but this time May could see the Doctor scanning her up and down. May resisted the urge to cover herself, and scowled. She didn't very well liked to be scanned without permission, she felt naked.

The Doctor's squinted, eyebrows furrowing, as he looked over the screwdriver.

"She's young." The Doctor's eyes widened, his voice becoming slightly high pitched. "Very young. Perhaps the first."

All three turned to him, staring with a varying degrees of confusion.

"What do you mean, Doctor?" Martha asked tugging on his sleeve with her other hand. "What do you mean she is the first?" The Doctor didn't answer her, instead let go of her hand, and took a step forward towards May.

Fear struck her, panic swelling in her heart. _No, no, no_ –

"No!" May stepped back, but her foot caught onto something, and she fell backwards. _Oh god._ She was going to throw up. The pain, confusion, disorientation: it was beginning to be all too much. _I'm going to be sick._ She hurried and covered her mouth as she felt her stomach lurch.

Someone touched her shoulder, and May froze. She hesitantly looked up, _please, please, just please –_

The Doctor's face was just inches away from her own, and everything inside May stood absolutely still. _Wow._ A small voice in the back of her mind whispered in awe. The tenth Doctor's eyes were so…deep and old. She didn't know eyes could look so old. She thought the saying was just that…a saying, but staring into this man's…Time Lord's eyes she knew it was true. _The eyes were a window into one's very soul._ She wistfully wondered what he saw when looking into her eyes. Could he see her raw fear? The way his brown eyes shifted between confusion, anger, sorrow, and disappointment; she could only assume so.

"May." The way he said her name made her heart beat faster, but strangely not from fear. May swallowed down the lump in her throat, eyes shifting to his face then quickly away.

"How do you know my name?" She whispered staring into his eyes with as much bravery she could muster.

The Doctor's lips twitched into an almost smile. "The way you know mine." Her eyes widened, _what?_

This time the Doctor did smile, and he even laughed, much to her ever growing confusion.

"Well, you cheated." He grinned, but it just didn't quite reach his eyes. "I've known you for a while, May Owens – " Her eyes widened and this time the Time Lord's eyes did sparkle mischievously. " – you're like an itch that just won't go away."

"Oi, Doctor!" Martha shouted with a glare as Jack gripped his head and groaned.

"I meant, a good itch!" the Doctor defended, looking backwards before turning to look at May with wide eyes - he looked slightly panicked. If May wasn't so freaked out, she would have found it humorous. _An itch?_

"A good itch." He affirmed as if hearing her thoughts, eyes serious. "Basically, what I am trying to say is: you're safe, May. Don't run." And he held out his hand.

May shied away slightly as she stared down at it. Half expecting it to reach out and snatch her, the other (the slightly delirious half) expected it to grow fangs and bite her, but it was just a hand. A still hand attached to a patiently waiting man. May's eyes flickered to and from the Doctor, deep in thought. _Maybe he_ can _help?_ He could tell her what's going on or even take her back home? Besides, where could she even go? She was stranded alone, frightened, confused, and hungry. May's eyes widened, _god._ Why did she just know realize this? She hungry. _Starving._ Her stomach felt like it was about to cannibalize itself. She was _sooo_ hungry.

May looked up, and was about to ask the Doctor if he happened to have any food when she noticed his closed expression. He was completely stone faced, eyes colder than any ice. His arm was pulling back slowly, hand closing to an almost fist. He sat up taller on his knees as if feeling the need to tower over her, asserting some sort of dominance. May shrunk into herself, but was unable to look away. It was like staring into the eyes of a predator. He opened his mouth to say something when his head whipped around towards a noise. May head automatically followed.

" **Hhhhuuummmmaaannnsss**!"

On top of a hill, a group of people stood carrying torches and weapons varying from swords, pitch forks, scythes, and spears. Each of them were clothed in animal skins that were so poorly sewn together it looked as though they would fall apart any second. The tattoos they were sporting were done just as poorly. It was as if they were made by children with a permanent marker. _Maybe they were the natives?_ May's heart swelled with hope. _Maybe they could help._

"Do you think they're friendly?" Jack asked as he and Martha came closer.

" **Humans**!" A man, the leader she supposed, shouted with a large grin revealing pointed teeth. " **For Kind**!"

The swarm of people descended down the hill with a battle cry.

Jack made a grab for Martha's hand pulling her with him. "I suppose that answers that question. Doctor!"

"Doctor!" Martha echoed his cry as the two fled. The Doctor knelt before May blocking her view of the approaching Kind.

"May."

She looked at him, once again seeing deep into his eyes.

"You know what I said about running?" he asked, expression serious. May nodded dumbly, _his eyes were so..._

"Forget all about that." He grinned. "Run."

He grabbed her hand, effectively pulling May to her feet, then without letting go began to run. May's eyes went wide as saucers.

Jack turned his head and looked at two of them with a large grin on his face.

"Oh, I've missed this!" He threw his head back, laughing. "Don't suppose you know why we're being chased do you?"

"Well." the Doctor paused turning his head to look at the approaching group. "I think we're being hunted."

"Fantastic!" Jack exclaimed as they both grinned at each other.

"Hunted? Why are we being hunted?" Martha shouted from the front.

" **Food**! **Food**! **Food**!"

"Never mind!" She cried as she jumped over a particularly large rock. Jack just laughed even harder. The Doctor continued tugging May along, who stumbled and tripped over her feet as she tried to keep up. She had tried to break free of his grasp in order to run on her own (maybe even escape) but the Time Lord had a firm grip, and kept their bond hands strictly across his chest. How he did that while continuing to run so smoothly, she had no idea. _And it was annoying,_ she growled.

"Oh, company!" the Doctor shouted cheerfully and May looked up. Another group of Kind, equally savage looking, were coming across the plain chasing another person. He looked absolutely terrified. As they bounded over the hill their group and the man's group merged to form one giant mob.

"Well this is pleasant." May grumbled under breath, and glared. There was a tug on her hand, and she looked up to see the Doctor smiling down at her.

"Isn't it." He stated before turning towards the newcomer, effectively missing May's flushed face. "Hello, I'm the Doctor, and this is May." He stretched out his free hand while May gave a nod. The man turned to the Doctor giving him a bewildered look before grasping the Time Lord's hand.

"P-P-Pa-Padra."

"Padra…Padra…I knew a Padra once." the Doctor said whimsically. "Nice girl, nice scales. Loved May - ."

"Doctor!" cried Martha.

"Right, sorry." He apologized, and released the man. "And that's Martha and Jack."

Jack turned his head and winked. "Hello." Padra stumbled.

Martha turned, scowling, and gave a shrill. "Doctor!"

"Right, sorry." He apologized again. "You wouldn't happen to know a place we could go? Perhaps a place to hide?"

"The silo. We need to reach the silo." Replied the man, and began to run even faster. "If we reach the silo, then we're safe.

"The silo?" the Doctor questioned.

"The silo." Jack repeated.

"Silo for me!" Martha shouted back.

"I-I second the silo." Chimed May gasping in large amounts of air. The Doctor was a natural sprinter. May was most definitely not.

They ran harder now in efforts of reaching their destination. May could hear the mob approaching, and she felt her heart speed up. _They weren't going to make it._ She was slowing them down. Slowing the Doctor down. The man who was usually ahead, leading everybody, was several feet behind – with her.

"Please, I'm-m slowing you down." She gasped, her lungs burning. "Just let m-m-me go!"

The Doctor looked down at her, his eyebrows furrowed, expression unreadable. _Just let me go, please._

"Over there!" Jack shouted. She and the Doctor looked up to see watchtowers and spotlights that brightened the dark sky.

"Come on!" the Doctor pulled her hand causing her to stumble into his side. The Doctor let go of her hand, and May's heart leapt at the chance to pull away. Before she could react on it though, the Doctor's arm went around her and gripped her shoulder, pushing her forward.

"It's the Futurekind!" cried Padra as they all slid downhill rushing towards the large gate. "Hurry, open the gate!"

The guards ran to the gate, sticking the open ends of their guns through the grate.

"Show me your teeth!" shouted one guard as they approached. "Show me your teeth!"

"Show them your teeth!" Padra told them over his shoulder as they approached the closed gate.

"What?" Martha exclaimed gasping for breath, looking at Padra whose mouth was stretched open in a grimace, revealing his teeth.

"What?" She repeated, looking at the guards who pointed their guns at her.

"Show me you teeth!" A guard demanded, eyes fierce.

Pedra elbowed Jack. "Show them your teeth!"

They all looked at each other for just a moment before they all began grinning madly. May trembled in the Doctor's grasp, her breathing coming out in funny sounds through her teeth as she grinned.

"Human! Let them in! Let them in!" The guard cried.

The gates opened, and the Doctor pushed May in first, causing her to stumble, before jumping in after quickly. Martha quickly came to her side pulling May away from the Doctor who handed her off with ease. May tilted against Martha who… _was she always this short?_ May thought in surprise. It was hard to notice on television, it made everyone seem the same size. Maybe May was just tall? But the Doctor made her feel so short. _Oh,_ a dizzy spell hit her full force. She needed to sit down or she was going to throw up. As May leaned over, Martha caught her, wrapping her arms around May's chest.

"You need to breathe, 'kay." Martha stated calmly, ducking her head down to catch May's eyes. "You're beginning to hyperventilate, May. You just need to breathe, just breathe." May nodded as she continued to stare into Martha's dark eyes. They were opposite of the Doctor's. Though darker in color, they were younger; fresh. Full of wonder and deep caring. Martha cared about her. May's eyes fluttered, as she felt her breathing slow. The ache in her chest lessoning. Not many people care about her. _Not even my own parents._

"Get back!" shouted the guard captain. May looked up to see the Kind standing a few feet away, bounding the gate like hungry lions. The leader, who looked the most disfigured and mutated out of all of them, stepped forward. The guards began shooting and the Kind jumped back; hissing.

"I said get back!"

The leader growled baring his misshapen teeth. "Humans! Humani!"

"I said. Get. Back!" the captain yelled, firing another warning shot.

This time, the leader didn't flinch, instead he stared at them with unwavering black eyes.

He pointed at them. "Kind watch you." He then pointed to his chest. "Kind hungry." He chuffed, throwing his head back before sweeping his arm to his side. The Kind hissed before slinking backwards to the dark, obeying the order to retreat. The leader was the last to leave their sight – never once taking his eyes off them before he too disappeared. There was resounding sigh of relief as everyone let out their breaths they had been holding.

"Thanks for that." The Doctor stated sincerely, scratching the side of his head.

"Right." The guard captain nodded before turning away. "It's best to get you inside."

The Doctor nodded back slipping his hands into his pant's pockets before walking after the captain. Jack came to May's side, who was still using Martha as a crutch, and swept her up into his arms – bridal style.

May let out a girlish shriek, and stared at him wide eyed and red faced.

Jack grinned and gave May a wink. "Just like old times, eh Legs?"

May sputtered, as she felt her face grow even hotter.

"Hey." Yelled the Doctor, eyes narrowed. "Knock it off."

"Sheesh, someone's in a mood." Jack grumbled, glaring over at the Doctor. "I found her first."

The Doctor glowered causing Jack to smirk.

"Alright enough you two." Martha shouted stepping in the space between the two. "This is not the time, can't you see that May is sick, and needs proper medical attention."

The Doctor barely glanced in her direction before turning away. "She will be fine with some food."

May's face lit up at the word food.

"Doctor, this is serious." Martha consoled. "She could have amnesia, and we don't even know how she got here and why."

The Doctor turned around on his feet, eyes blazing with anger.

"I know how she got here." He growled, pointing at May who cowered into Jack's chest. "She. She! Was playing with something she knows better than too! She is the one who did this! No one else! It's her fault! I told her…I told her!" Doctor curled his finger back into his hand which tightened into a fist. He shook it for a moment, his face consorting into so many emotions at once: anger, despair, sadness. Then it was gone, his face back to stone, and he turned around; shoving his hands into his pockets.

Martha watched him go, jaw hanging open in a flabbergasted expression. "I've never seen him so…" She trailed off as Jack came to stand behind her.

"Should have seen his other face." Jack stated casually. "That man was a piece of work."

Martha snapped her head towards him as Jack began to walk away. "What? Other face?"

Jack just hummed.

"Excuse me."

May turned her head to see a guard, a boy in his late teens with dark hair and bright green eyes behind circular glasses. He was holding out a bar to her.

"If you're hungry, I've got a spare energy bar."

May eyes widened in surprise before they softened. She smiled.

"Thank you." She whispered grabbing the bar. The boy nodded his head.

"She is going to need more than that, mate." The Doctor called over his shoulder. "Right now, her body is lacking the efficient amount of carbohydrates and protein. A whole cerbarrorian herd wouldn't be able to stave off her hunger."

Jack leaned over to Martha who gave him a questioning look. "Basically a horse about 10 feet tall, six legs, three tails, and two heads; but think of one head as a lion."

"Oh."

The guard looked at May. "I'll see if the cooks have stew left over. That stuff can fill a grown man."

"Thanks." She gave him a reassuring smile, which he returned, but it was shaky. As he ran off towards the building, May looked back down at the bar. Staring at it curiously, May ripped the wrapper off to revealing what looked like a granola bar. If a granola bar was gray and smelled like wet cardboard. May wrinkled her nose in distaste, but steeled herself anyway. She didn't want to be rude to the boy who obviously didn't have much. May closed her eyes and took a bite.

Jack began laughing as her face turned an interesting shade of green.

...

...

.

* * *

.

..

...

Jack sat May down at the bottom of the steps of a staircase that opened up into a lobby. He turned and walked to the Doctor who was talking to a lieutenant Atillo, as he pronounced himself.

"It's a box, a big blue box – " The Doctor circled the man, peaking over his shoulder.

Padra rounded the man's other side, looking frantic. "Sir, my family!"

Atillo held up a hand, silencing them both with an agitated look. "Sirs, if you please - ."

"May?" Martha came into her line of vision. "Are you alright?" May looked up at the other woman before turning her head.

"Yes, I'm fine." She muttered. "Just hungry."

Martha smiled. "At least I now know something didn't change." She laughed. "You're always eating." May looked up at her brows raised. Martha's smile dropped and her face paled a little.

"N-not that you eat a lot, I-I mean. I didn't mean it like that." Martha trailed off as she held her face in shame. "S-sorry."

May stared at her for a moment longer before she looked to her lap. She began to rub her hands together.

"M-Martha, can I ask you a question?"

Her eyes went wide as she looked at May before she smiled kindly. Kneeling before her, Martha sat her hand on May's knee comfortingly.

"Of course."

May licked her lips nervously eyes flickering between Martha's hand and her own. "W-what am I to you?"

Martha's brows rose. "A friend. You're my friend, May."

May felt her entire face flush and her heart pound in her chest. A friend? No one called her friend except…

"A-and Jack?"

"A friend."

"A-a-and the D-Doctor?" She whispered his name as she peered under her eyelashes to said man. His back was towards the them, but his posture was too stiff and tense; May was sure he heard her. _Or maybe not_ , She thought. He seemed keen on ignoring her.

"Everyone considers you a friend, May, even the Doctor." Martha assured, eyes sincere.

_And yet._

"And I consider you friends too?" May inquired cocking her head. "Close friends?"

Martha laughed. "Of course, silly."

May lips twitched, giving her a small smile in return. From the corner of her eye, May saw the Doctor turn his head slightly in their direction.

"Excuse me."

May turned and saw the guard from earlier at her side carrying a steaming bowl.

"I'm sorry, they were all out of stew, but I brought you broth." Both May and Martha smiled.

"Thanks again." May said as she was passed the bowl. She set the edge to her lips and took a sip. _Better._ But still hungry.

"You're welcome, ma'am." He said bowing his head slightly. "It's my duty to look after the survivors, but umm – ." He trailed off, face coloring. His eyes flickered to May's face then away.

"The boy's and I were wonderin' what tribe you're from?" he asked nodding to a group of teens in the far corner. They were all staring. "Never seen markings like yours."

May's brows flew up. "I'm not from a tribe." She turned to Martha. "What markings?"

"He means your piercings."

"Piercings?" May looked between the two in confusion. "I don't have piercings."

"Yes, you do May. You've always had them."

"No, I – !" May froze as she stared at a reflection from the stairwell. It was like staring at your reflection from a spoon, all misshapen and angled, but you could still see clearly.

"No." She whispered leaning close. She touched her cheek, no, not her cheek. Couldn't be. _Can't be_. This _imposter_ staring back her with wide hazel eyes was not May. The imposter touched dark brown hair with hesitant fingers, feeling its thick silky strands. Finger tips that traced over ears that were covered in multiple studs and rings varying different colors and patterns. They then trailed to cheeks where the imposter circled over dimple piercings, to her lips where she had snake bites and a labret, nostril piercings to the very bridge of her nose, and her twice pierced eyebrows. May covered her mouth in horror. How could she not have known! How could she not feel… _oh god._ Her eyes widened. Was even her tongued pierced? May stuck out her tongue, and there it was plain as day: a stud with a picture of a skull and crossbones. She flinched backwards, and stared at the reflection in terror. She didn't know this person. She didn't know. She didn't know this face, _these hands_! These hands covered with rings, nails painted black. She didn't know…she didn't know…how could she not see? Was she even May? Was May even her name?

"May? May? Doctor there is something wrong with May!"

Everything was wrong. Wrong. This place was wrong. She wanted to go home. Home with… _with_ …May curled into herself as her head exploded in pain. It felt like her entire body was being torn apart. She just wanted…just wanted to… _eat._ May clenched her eyes close. _I'm starving._ Maybe if she ate something, got rid of this painful hunger, she could think clearer.

"May? May, I need you to listen to me, you've just got to hold it together, okay." She heard the Doctor implore. May nodded and took a calming breath. _Oh wow,_ her mind whispered in awe as the sweetest scent hit her. _Someone lied to you kid._ Because someone was cooking something mouthwatering. May couldn't describe it even if she tried. It was like someone had decided to make all her favorite desserts into one ultimate dish, and created something beautiful. Her stomach growled, and all thoughts drifted away.

"Whoa there, Legs." Jack laughed breaking her trance. May's eyes snapped opened, and she suddenly found herself snuggled up against the man: arms around his neck with her nose shoved in between the crook of his shoulder, and mouth kissing his collarbone. May turned redder than a tomato.

"I'm sorry!" She squeaked and tried to pull away, but Jack held her close.

"S'kay Legs, anytime." He winked, and then knelt to pick her up again. "Time to get moving anyway."

"Are you alright?" Martha asked eyes full of concern holding May's forgotten broth. May nodded, looked away only to see the Doctor staring at her with a look she could not decipher.

"Yes, I'm fine." _Was he always so far away? I swore he was closer…_

May took the broth from Martha's hands, and began sipping on it slowly as they approached a young boy waiting patiently.

"Right, follow me." He gestured to them to a nearby hallway.

Martha's brows rose as she looked at him. "How old are you?"

"Old enough to work." He stated nonchalantly before starting forward. "This way." Martha turned and looked at May in surprise who just shrugged in return.

May turned her head to look at Jack. "I can walk on my own, you know."

He grinned. "I know, but it's nice to have you in my arms again, Legs. Don't know how much I've missed you."

May refused to blush. "I don't know what you are insinuating, _Jack_ , but I would appreciate it if you would stop."

"Oh, I'm not insinuating anything, Legs. You're the one with their head in the gutter." He laughed as May felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"Oi!" the Doctor barked. "Keep up you two!" And he disappeared around the corner with a scowl etched on his face.

"Someone's jealous." Jack whispered eyes sparkling mischievously.

May decided then and there too just dye her face red, it seemed to be her natural color anyway.

...

..

.

* * *

.

..

...

"Chan, hello, tho." Said the beautiful blue woman – insect? May swallowed thickly, as she shook the female's hand. It was smooth - like silk. _Weird._

"Hello." Jack flirted with a smirk as he took her hand in his. "Captain Jack Harkness."

"Stop it." Commanded the Doctor as he peered over his glasses from his position by a strange looking consol.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack asked in mock exasperation.

The female cheeks turned a dark shade of blue. "Chan, I do not protest, tho."

Jack smirked. "Maybe later blue." And he winked.

May felt a swelling of panic forming in her chest. There wasn't denying it now. This was Chantho and that was Yana who was…was…she shivered causing Jack to tighten his hold in response. She was in the Doctor's universe, there was no mistaking it. If this was a dream, god she had been praying, it surely would of ended by now. _Unless…_ she pinched herself. She winced at the small pain, but nope…still there. What was she going to do?

Jack walked her to a small sitting area, sitting May down on a worn down chair.

"There you go, Legs, nice and comfy."

"Thank you." She said sincerely as Jack stripped off his bag and sat it by her feet.

"Watch that for me?" He asked watching her nod before walking off to the Doctor. Martha, a habit forming it seemed, came right to her side.

"Better?"

"Yes." May nodded as her fingers unconsciously began to play with the handle of the bag. "I'm sorry about before I don't know why I freaked out like that." Or why she was so scared of her own face.

"It's okay." Martha smiled grabbing her hand squeezing it comfortingly. "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

May returned her smile. "Thanks."

Martha nodded and gave May hand one last squeeze before standing up. Martha started to walk away when she froze and gave May a strange look.

"Do you hear that?"

May furrowed her eyes bows in confusion. "Hear what?"

Martha paused before she pointed out at something in the air. "That."

"I don't hear anything."

"I swear." She mumbled lowering her head. "It's a strange…bubbling…from there." She reached for Jack's bag next to May's legs. May opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat. _If I stopped Martha from revealing the Doctor's hand, would it really stop the Master from taking it?_ Before she could decide though Martha was already unzipping the backpack.

"Oh my god." She exclaimed in shock as she looked in the bag's contents. "You've got a hand?"

The Doctor turned around, along with Professor Yana, in time see Martha pull out a hand in jar from Jack's pack. Martha looked up at Jack in mild disgust who, in return, looked like a boy whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar.

"You've got a hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in a bag." She stated as the Doctor came around her pushing up his glasses to the bridge of his nose.

"But that…that." He looked between May and Jack, expression bewildered. "That's my hand."

"I said I had a Doctor detector." Jack stated with a shrug.

Chantho looked between the two in confusion. "Chan, is this a tradition amongst your people, tho?"

"Not on my street." Said Martha, outraged. "What do you mean, that's your hand? You've got both your hands, I can see them."

The Doctor shrugged settling back into his chair he was commandeering. "Long story. I lost my hand Christmas Day, in a swordfight."

"What?" Martha smirked and gave a chuckle. "And you just, ah, grew another hand?"

"Er, yeah, yeah, I did." He stated nonchalantly, nodding his head. As Martha's smile fell to a frown the Doctor gave a short wave.

"Hello."

"Might I ask, what species are you?" Yana asked looking thoroughly enchanted by the bubbling hand in a jar.

"Time Lord, last of." He said, face serious. "Heard of them?" Yana and Chancho looked at each other shaking their head.

The Doctor sat up looking a little put out. "Legend or anything? Not even a myth?" They shook their head again looking at him blankly.

"Blimey." The Doctor fell back in his seat with slight pout. "End of the universe is a bit humbling."

"Chan, it is said that I am the last of my species too, tho." Chantho sympathized, eyes casted down.

"Sorry, what was your name?" The Doctor inquired, sitting up again. May rolled her eyes. _Can this man ever stay still?_

Yana clapped his hands and apologized swiftly for his forgetfulness as he grasped Chantho by the shoulders.

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho." He gave her a slight shake which had Chantho turning dark blue. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge."

"The city outside." The Doctor pointed. "That was yours?"

Chantho nodded shyly. "Chan, the conglomeration died, tho."

"Conglomeration! That's what I said." He shouted, clapping his hands in delight, as he fell back into his seat crossing his arms.

"You're supposed to say sorry." Jack chided, and the Doctor expression fell again.

"Oh, yes." He sat up, and gave Chantho an apologetic look. "Sorry."

May resisted a smile. _So childish._

"Chan, most grateful, tho." The female Malmooth bowed her head.

"You grew another hand?" Martha repeated still looking a bit shell shock.

"Hello, again." The Doctor waved his hand at her in good humor, causing May to giggle slightly, but at Martha's still shocked expression he stood up. "It's fine. Look, really, it's me." He wiggled his fingers, and held out his hand to her. Martha hesistated for just a moment before settling her own hand in his.

Giving it a few experimental squeezes, properly testing it as a real hand, Martha laughed. "All this time and you're still full of surprises."

May leaned forward studying the hand in the jar. Curious, she reach out and tapped the glass.

"Chan, you are most unusual, tho."

May's eyes widened as she pulled her hand back quickly.

"Well." The Doctor said, looking pleased.

 _Holy mother._ The hand actually tapped back. May resisted a nervous giggle.

"So what about those things outside?" Jack asked, gaining everyone's attention. "The Beastie Boys. What are they?"

The Professor let out a deep troubling sigh - as if he was shouldering some great weight. "We call them the Futurekind, which is a myth in itself, but it's feared they are what we will become." He looked at them with hope. "Unless we reach Utopia."

"And Utopia is...?" The Doctor left the question hanging, looking particularly confused.

"Oh, every human knows of Utopia." Yana said sounding slightly exasperated. "Where have you been?"

"Bit of a hermit."

Yana didn't look as though he believed that one bit. "A hermit with, uh, friends?"

"Hermits United." The Doctor stated casually. "We meet up every ten years and swap stories about…caves." May rose an eyebrow and shot him a look. _Really?_

The Doctor grimaced. "It's good fun, for a hermit." _Wow, even the Doctor looked a little green._ He quickly brushed it aside though.

"So, er, Utopia?"

Yana sighed, shaking his head slightly, and motioned for them to follow him. They left May sitting alone to gather around an ancient looking monitor, but she didn't mind. It gave her time to think about her situation at last.

 _Everyone seems so real._ May thought whimsically as she watched the group in fascination. She was still having trouble wrapping everything around her head. This was all too sudden, all too real, and everything was about to get bad; fast. But what could she do? What could May Owens do to stop the year that never was? What could May Owens do to stop the Master? What could May Owens do to save Chantho?

What was she even doing here?

"Oh, we've been chatting, I forgot to tell you." The Doctor's voice drifted to her, and May looked up. The Doctor was staring at her from across the room, a broad grin placed on his face as his eyes sparkled. May felt her own lips twist uncontrollably upward in response.

"I'm brilliant."

And the room came alive with one click of his sonic screw driver.

 


	2. Utopia: A Valuable Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May meets the Tardis

_How does one even go about saving people? How does one even go about_ thinking _about saving people?_

Even now, she could feel herself chickening out. Little clouds of doubt were flouting about in her mind. What if she messed it all up? What if she, herself, died? Or, _god forbid_ , her spur of heroism resulted in the Doctor's death? Jack's? Or Martha's? She could seriously hurt the dynamics of time and space.

May groaned and slouched over, cradling her head. She was beginning to get a headache. _Okay, let's do this one step at a time._ She consoled herself. _You aren't a hero, May._ And she wasn't. She didn't know how the Doctor did it. How he could just jump into action at the slightest mention of danger. Stare down the enemy at gun point with unwavering confidence and wit. It was insane. He was insane. _She_ was insane. Why was she even thinking about this? Everything turned out alright in the end.

_Except Chantho._

May's eyes flickered up to the female Malmooth who was talking to Martha animatedly as they exited the room. She was so real, full of life, and the Master murders her in cold blood. Without a shred of guilt. May's eyes fell to her lap, _even she stood up to the Master in order to protect people. She died a hero,_ May's hands began to shake. Pressing them to her face, May berated herself. _Coward. Coward! What are you here for if not to save them?_

But that was the true question, wasn't it? What was she doing here? No one had explained anything.

"You alright?"

May jumped, nearly falling out of her chair. Her head swung around to see the Doctor sitting next to her, watching her intensely. May swallowed thickly before looking away.

"I'm f-fine."

The Doctor raised a single brow. "Really?"

Her eyes flickered to him.

"Really." She reassured and removed her gaze.

"Hmm." She could feel the Doctor's stare burning the side of her face. "I'm confident that I know you well enough now to know when you're lying, May."

Her heart skipped a beat, and she bit her lip.

"I'm not lying." She denied, trying to sound firm, but it came out a hesitant croak - like a frog.

The Doctor leaned forward, his face entering her peripheral vision.

"I'm also pretty confident in knowing when you're thinking about doing something stupid."

"I'm not." She was a horrible liar.

His stare was unwavering, "Lying or thinking about something idiotic?"

"Both." Horrible.

"You're a terrible liar, May." The Doctor sighed rubbing his face. "Listen, I know you don't understand, right now, but whatever you are thinking of doing – don't."

She gave him an incredulous look. "How do you -."

"Listen." He growled and lunged forward, his face coming within inches of her own. "You never just listen!"

May was so startled by his outburst that she just sat there, petrified. She stared at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"You've got to understand that as a time traveler, your job is to be an observer. A background character." The Doctor glared, those dark eyes bearing down on her like heavy weights. "Whenever you start getting ideas, these silly little inklings for valor, you end up causing a mess. For yourself, and for me."

"But I just -"

"People die, May."

_Oh._

Well, that just struck right on home didn't? May could feel her heart squeeze painfully in her chest before it plummeted down to the deepest darkest bowels of her body. All those thoughts, all those worries, they were worthless, weren't they?

"They die all the time." The Doctor stated matter-of-factly. "Everywhere you go."

May averted her gaze, _I'm a coward._ She couldn't handle holding his stare anymore. The accusation in his eyes was too much. Too painful. It was like he was blaming her for something - something she did. But she hadn't done anything! She didn't _do_ anything, so why was he so…so…?

If she wasn't here to save people then -

"What am I here for?" whispered May, mostly to herself. Because that's what people do when they are with the Doctor; they save.

"I don't know." The Doctor answered, and at the same time, didn't. He sighed, and hung his head, shoulders slumping forward. It was faint, and May was sure he hadn't meant for her to hear him, but she was positive she heard the Doctor mumble to himself: "Sometimes you're more trouble than you're worth."

May refused to cry, despite the evidence stinging in her eyes. So she wasn't a hero – fine. So she wasn't fit to save anyone – okay. So the Doctor didn't like her – whatever. Just point her to the nearest dimensional portal and she will be out of his way, and out of his hair. She wasn't supposed to be here anyway.

"We are going to set some rules, you and I." The Doctor informed her, finally sitting back, giving May her much needed space. "No running off, no leaving my sight." He lifted his hand and pointed exaggeratedly at her. He looked dead serious with his eyebrows furrowed together in a hard line. "Do absolutely everything I say, when I say it." May swallowed thickly as his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Lastly, and more importantly, don't interfere. Got it?"

She nodded her head stiffly.

The Doctor smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good."

"Professor." Atillo's voice suddenly entered the room, catching all its occupant's attention. "Please tell the Doctor we found his box."

The Doctor's eyes lit up, and his smile turned into a stunning grin.

"Well then Professor." The Doctor shouted jumping out of the chair practically skipping to the older man's side. Yana looked at him before turning back to the monitor where the shaky feed was showing the Tardis in all her glory. The Professor expression changed from utter confusion and surprise to one of pain as he cradled his head.

_Oh no._

The Doctor took no notice in his excitement. "It's a stab in the dark, but I may have your way off this planet."

May felt her panic rise. _Doctor, no! No! Don't you see? Can't you see, Doctor?_

How can he not see the Master hidden behind that noble heart?

She wanted to scream. Point and scream at him - at the Doctor. At Yana. At the Master. Why was he being so blind? He was a Time Lord, for god's sake. Why was he choosing now to be an oblivious idiot?

The Doctor turned around clapping, and bounded for the door. Before he reached it though, he stopped just a few feet away from May. He turned, settling that hard gaze she was getting used to receiving, back on her.

"Stay." He commanded, pointing to her position in emphasis. "Don't move."

"I wasn't-."

"Don't. Move." He restated harsher, meaner.

May snapped her mouth shut.

"Doctor, don't you think you are being a little too hard on her?" Jack interrupted from across the room. He stood in front of a handmade relay, wires and tubes wrapped around his person, and he frowned deeply - obviously overhearing their conversation.

"She doesn't understand -."

"She never does." The Doctor snapped, glaring in his direction. "Just stay out of this Jack, it's none of your business."

Jack hands rested against the console as he leaned forward.

"Any problems of Legs." Jack's face was stone cold. "I consider my own, Doctor."

The Doctor regarded him coolly. "I guess it's a good thing there isn't a problem, isn't it?"

There was a moment of silence between the two, both staring hard each other. It was like there was some sort of secret conversation going on that only those two could hear. Soon enough though, the Doctor was the first to look away, and Jack still didn't look too pleased. The Doctor headed for the door again, and instantly May panicked.

"Doctor!" she shouted, leaping to her feet. She was an idiot, and a coward. May wasn't ready for this.

The Doctor stopped, but didn't turn around to look at her. She was grateful.

_If I could just –_

"T-t-time." Stuttered May, rubbing her hands nervously. "T-time can be rewritten, right?" Because he did it all the time. "If I just -."

"Oh, yes." He replied loudly, cutting her off. "It can."

May's heart swelled with hope, _maybe then –_

The Doctor stuffed his hands in his pant pockets. "But by you –" When he turned to look at her, all of May's color drained from her face. His eyes were the darkest and coldest she had seen them yet. _And it hurt._

"- it could only be for the worse."

Then he left while May stood there looking crestfallen. Too many emotions passed through May at once, and even she couldn't decipher how she felt. Betrayal though was in the leading position. Everything about the Doctor, everything she knew (everything she thought she knew) was wrong. So very wrong.

"He doesn't mean it."

May turned to see Jack staring down at her with a solemn expression.

She looked away to stare at the door the Doctor had left through. "He meant it."

_Every word of it._

Jack sighed. "He shouldn't have talked to you like that. It's not you he is mad at."

She laughed, surprising even herself at how bitter it sounded.

"Could have fooled me."

Jack grasped her shoulder, settling weight down upon it. "He's not. He's not!" May looked up reluctantly, and noticed Jack's face was a cross between anger and empathy. "He's angry at the future you, not the current you."

May raised her brows. "If that was supposed to make me feel better, it didn't. Future me is still me, and if that is what I have to look forward to down the road…then I…I -"

She would rather just leave.

Jack's grip eased, and his eyes went sad. She didn't like that look. It made him look old, old as the Doctor. Jack Harkness should always be smiling – even if it was a tad bit flirty.

"I guess." May shook her head, she shouldn't be so concerned. She couldn't get attached, not when – "If the Doctor is going to be such a-a-a jerk, and despise me so much, I have no need to be here. If I'm not here then there is no need to be angry at the future me. No present me than no future me."

"May." Jack's voice was soft, almost a whisper. "He doesn't despise you."

Her lips twitched, and her eyes grew dark. "Could have fooled me."

"May –"

But she was done talking about this. Done thinking about this. So May turned around and walked away, ready to go back to her dark little corner, and continue being the outcast she truly felt she was.

Professor Yana was inconspicuously a few feet away from them, May noticed as she passed. He was humming to himself (in beats of four), seemingly keeping himself occupied by doing…something she was sure she couldn't even begin to understand. He seemed unware of them except for the fact he had just plugged and re-plugged a charger in the same slot three times now. He had been listening. May sighed, _even at the end of the universe people thrive for gossip._ She would have ignored the old man and continued walking, if she hadn't just seen him re-plug the charger five times now.

"Professor?" May called out to him. Yana jumped slightly, his shoulders rolling back as he stood straighter. With wide blue eyes, he looked at her.

"Yes, child. W-what is it?"

May frowned a little. "Are you alright?" He was looking at her, but it was as if he wasn't seeing her. "Would you like to sit down?" She gestured to the little sitting area.

"No." Yana shook his head, and the cloudy look in his eyes disappeared. "No, no time for sitting or resting. People have waited a long time for Utopia, and I will be damned if they have to wait any longer than they have too."

For a man who wasn't real, he was very passionate. _No,_ May shook her head. _That's not right._ For those people who were boarding the ship, ready to take the journey that very well may save their lives, Professor Yana _was_ real. Their savior.

_And the Master kills him too._

May frowned.

"Professor." She hesitated, biting her lip. "What would you do if you had more time?"

"Time?" Yana inquired as he flitted around the computers. "If I had time, I would like do an engine check to see if the canis is able to function properly without flooding. If I had time, I would check the footprint impeller to see if it will withstand the velocity of end-time travel without break harmonization. If I had time, I would be able to install a safety mechanism for if the oxygen typhoid unit system in case of implosion. Then the terraphoon would be rerouted to the rubber duct cylinder for optimal keeping and service." Yana gave a mock laugh. "If I had time."

May shook her head. She hadn't even came close to understanding a single word he just said. "No, what I meant is, if you had time to –" _To live._ "- do anything, anything at all. What would you do?"

Yana paused, and he looked at her thoughtfully while handling something that looked like a cassette tape. "Well, if I could I would like too –" He smiled, and it was that kind of smile where you couldn't help but smile too. It was genuine and kind. "Well, if I had time I would like sit down and just read a book. Any kind of book. Maybe relax on a beach during the day when the moon is full." The Professor's eyes gleamed. "Did you know beaches were once spanned by water? They called it - a sea. A sea of water, can you believe it?"

May laughed as his childish excitement. "Yes, yes I think I can."

She heard it first before she saw it. _The Tardis._ May's heart leap to her throat. _No, no, no, no! This wasn't good. Not good. Not good._ That mechanical wheezing filled up the room of already buzzing electronics.

The Professor had gazed up and turned around looking utterly confused. "What in the world?"

May's hands went sweaty, and she wiped them anxiously on her jeans. If the Doctor scared her, oh… _oh_ the Tardis terrified her. Why? Because watching the big blue box materialize across the room out of thin air - it made everything real. If she had still doubted (and a little part of her did; deep _deep_ down) watching the Doctor, in all his glory, step out of a box (a box that was bigger on the inside) smiling like the mad man he is – just made it more real.

May had never been more scared in her entire life.

"Now then." The Doctor ran out dragging a thick power cable behind him. "Extra power. Bit of a cheat, but who is counting?" Jack snorted, but the Doctor ignored him. "Jack, you're in charge of retro feeds."

"Yes, sir." Jack replied sarcastically, giving him a mock solute. "Anything you say, sir."

The Doctor glowered.

"Oh, am I glad to see that thing." Exclaimed Martha as she and Chantho entered the console room carrying stacks of circuit boards. Both ignorant to the tension building in the room. The female Malmooth came to the Professor's side who was still staring at the Tardis star-struck.

"Chan, Professor, you alright, tho?"

Yana blinked rapidly, and turned to stare at Chantho with the same hazy expression he had given May earlier.

"Yes, yes. I'm alright, just a headache." He waved it off. "Let's just get on with it."

"Are you alright, May?" Martha asked sneaking to May's side. "You look a little pale."

May looked down at her then to Jack who was watching her just as intensely, then back to the Tardis. No, no she was not fine. In fact, she was the polar opposite of fine.

"I'm okay." She lied, and backed away. She needed to get out of this room. She needed to get out of this place. She needed to flee.

_Run away._

"Maybe you should sit down." Suggested Martha. She shuffled the circuit boards to her other arm while reaching out to hold onto May – who was getting paler by the second – with the other.

"You should go inside the Tardis." The Doctor imputed from across the room, eyeing them over his glasses. May's stomach lurched and she turned a little green.

"I – I – I wouldn't w-w-want -." She stuttered, staring at him, wide eyed. _Has he gone mad?_ She couldn't -!

"That's a great idea, isn't it?" Martha exclaimed with a smile. "You go inside, rest up properly, and we will come get you when we are done."

"I – I – I can't." May tried to explain. "It wouldn't be right."

"What's not right about it?"

May swallowed "I don't k-know, maybe -"

"Well that settles it then." The Doctor interrupted, and he skipped to her side, grabbing her elbow. "Come on, don't be shy now." May looked desperately between Martha and Jack, hoping they would read the terror on her face, and stop this; but Martha grinned ever-so ignorant of her plight. And Jack didn't look happy, but he didn't protest.

"We will get you later, Legs." He promised when he caught her staring, and he gave her a genuine toothy smile.

_Traitors. All of them._

"Doctor, I really don't think this is a good idea."

She felt sick to her stomach. She was going to throw up, and when she threw up, it would be all over the Tardis floor. Then the Doctor would hate her even more.

"I really don't think this a good idea." The Doctor was ignoring her, pulling her along by the elbow despite her protests. She was so close now that May could read the instructions, constantly ignored by the Doctor, clear as day on the Tardis's very doors.

_Pull to open_

The Doctor began speaking very quickly. "To get to your room enter the first corridor, turn left then walk to the first hallway, take a right, then another right, then a left – if you reach the fountain you've gone too far." He pushed the doors open. "The library also isn't too far away at that point. From the fountain you want to go right, keep walking till you've passed three hallways, enter a green door on your right, go up the stairs for three levels, and then take a left."

"Wait, w-what? D-Doctor, I-I really don't think –" She began, but the Doctor seemed to have an annoying habit of cutting her off.

"And remember, don't. Touch. Anything."

And he shoved her unceremoniously inside.

"No! Doctor!"

But it was too late, he had already closed the door trapping May inside.

"Doctor!" May fell against the door, pounding her fists against the wood. "Let me out! Let me out, Doctor!"

No one answered, and no one opened the door, so May slide to the floor; curling into herself - hyperventilating. _It's okay. It's okay._ She consoled herself, wiping the tears from her face. _It's just the Tardis. It's just Sexy._ This wasn't a prison.

May hesitantly looked up, eyes stained red from her weeping, and her breath caught in her throat. _Wow,_ a little voice in her mind said in awe. _Beautiful._

And she was. The Tardis was indeed the most beautiful thing May had ever seen. The room was spun in pure gold with coral arches that look like trees cradling the ceiling. _The Doctor sure loves his round things,_ May thought in wonder as she stared at the hexagonal patterns designed around the entire room. _Or was there some actual use?_ May shakily stood to her feet as she stared upward. The ceiling was covered in wires and cables looping and crossing each other as they ran in each direction. May backed away from the door, and spun, giving the room a full 360. Her eyes landed on the console, looking every bit as coral and steampunk as she remembered. _Television didn't do her justice,_ May thought as she walked slowly to the middle of the room. The ( _was it called a Time rotor or motor?_ She couldn't remember) was emitting a pale green light, and she could hear the Tardis humming a soft purr while she rested, and yet at the same time, May could feel the room buzzing with energy. The very air felt alive.

"This is too surreal." She whispered, eyes settling on an ancient looking type writer attached to the console.

She had a sudden urge to poke it like a curious child. So May neared the center of the Tardis, and reached a hand out, eyes settling on a worn looking "g". May bit her lip nervously, and silently prayed she didn't accidently make a hole in the universe. That would just _be_ her day.

"Don't touch that."

May yelped, twisting around with hands raised. She backed into the console before she screamed in pain and jumped away.

"You shocked me!" she exclaimed in bewilderment staring at the Tardis. "That hurt!"

"I said, don't touch that."

May's head snapped up, and her eyes grew wide. _What?_

"What?" she questioned, voice shaking. "I don't…"

_…understand…_

"…Doctor?"

The Doctor was standing there with a new face, but not one she didn't recognized. How could she not recognized that chiseled chin, combed back hair, and striking green eyes?

_And the bowtie._

The Doctor was wearing said red bowtie along with matching suspenders over a baby blue shirt under a tan tweed jacket. He looked…absolutely ridiculous.

"Doctor?" she repeated, as she cradled her wounded hand. "Wh-what's going on?"

Eleven continued to stare at her with a bored, blank expression. "I am the Tardis's voice interface, not the Doctor."

May blinked. "What?"

"I am the voice interface, not the Doctor."

"But that's…" May began but stopped when she noticed the Doctor's entire body flicker. "Oh."

"Who are you?" asked Ele – the Tardis interface.

"May." She answered as she took a step around the Tardis interface, looking at the Doctor's projection from another angle. "May Owens." The Interface stayed still, but continued to watch her by angling the Doctor's head. "You are so –"

"Liar."

"- 3D looking." May paused in her inspection. "What did you just say?"

Elev – the Tardis interface considered her. "Liar. You are not May Owens."

"Yes, I am." She glowered.

"No, you are not." He – she – denied.

"I'm pretty sure I know who I am."

"Not really." The Doctor stated with a shrug and he took a step forward. "May Owens is a feral stray the Doctor owns." He ignored May's indignant yell, and began rubbing his hands together. "He picked her up off the street one day long ago, and has yet gotten rid of her."

The Doctor spun around on his heels. "May Owens is a 25 year old looking human –" He pointed at her. "– parasite. Killing the Doctor."

_W-w-what?_ May eyes were wide as saucers, her heart thundered in her chest. _What is he saying?_

"You are not May Owens –" He paused and cocked his head. "- but you are becoming May Owens."

"Are you accusing me of murder?" She exclaimed in outrage and disgust. "Are you accusing me of plotting against the Doctor?"

"I am unaware of any thoughts of yours towards the Doctor."

May glared. "But you are calling me a murder."

"You are a parasite."

"You know." She clenched her teeth. "I liked you better when you weren't real and couldn't talk."

Tears prickled in her eyes as she turned around and stormed down the staircase. She refused to cry just because a stupid old box was calling her names, and throwing accusations. She thought the Tardis was better than that. Funny how all her heroes keep disappointing her.

"Where are you going?" Eleven called after her.

"To my room!" she shouted, stomping on her way. "Because apparently it's the only place I'm allowed to be."

The Doctor materialized as soon as she rounded the corner, leaning against a doorway with his arms crossed.

He looked at her coolly. "You should leave, parasite."

"What? No." She glared as she walked past him. This time he appeared further down: body angled towards her, arm resting against the wall, his feet crossed, and his other hand grasping a narrowed hip.

"Why not?" He watched her as she snubbed past him.

"Because the doors are locked." And she turned right, walking down another hallway.

The Doctor appeared right before her, startling May, and snapped his fingers.

"They are open now."

She blinked up at him. "Really? How did –?" _Oh, right. Sentient box._ "…but the Doctor said –."

Why was she hesitating? The Tardis was offering a way out, and here she was worrying what the Doctor would think. _Screw him._ He had been nothing, but entirely unpleasant since she had met him.

"Can you take me home?" she inquired hopefully.

"No." Eleven replied simply, and raised his arm, gesturing for her to leave.

"Why not?"

The Doctor sighed exasperated, which was strange, for his facial expression hadn't changed once. "Because parasite's home does not exist."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Parasite home-world does not exist."

"Why not?"

"The Time War." May's eyes went wide in shock.

"B-but that was so _long_ ago, and – and this is _now_." She began to panic. "I was just home a couple hours ago!"

"The Time War ripped apart dimensions." The Doctor explained, his eyes baring down at her. "Tore a hole through time. The consequences are infantine and improbable."

"I – I – I." She slumped to the ground. "I can't go home."

"No."

"T-t-then what do I d-d-do? Where do I-I-I g-g-go?"

"Away."

_This is impossible._ Nothing made sense anymore. Her home? Her world? Just gone. Like that? _Impossible._ Just…impossible.

"You're lying." She mumbled before lifting her head, eyes burning with accusation. "You lying old cow. You don't know that. You don't know that!"

The Doctor's image flickered, and reappeared with his arms crossed. "It is time for you to leave."

"No! No!" May stood and took an aggressive step forward. "No, I will not! Not until I get some answers, you overgrown Lego block!" The Doctor's image flickered as he took several steps backwards. "Don't you dare run away! I want answers, and I want them now!" She gritted her teeth. She was tired of being confused. Tired of being ignorant. Tired of being pushed around.

"Why am I here? How did I get here? What happened to my home? My universe?" She raised her hand and pointed her finger at him. "Why does everybody seem to know me? Why do you call me parasite? Is that why the Doctor hates me? Because of you? Is that why you shocked me? Do you hate me?"

She was so freaking tired and angry and _hungry._ What was with this insatiable hunger? Was it now her destiny to die of starvation? Was this the Doctor's plan? Was this his fault? May was starting to get dizzy her stomach hurt so badly.

"Tell me." She demanded as she stood nose to nose with the Doctor – the Tardis. "I want you to explain it to me, now." She watched him clench his jaw, and his eyes narrow dangerously. "Do it, you rusting space hopper."

The Doctor's nostrils flared.

"Leech!"

May jumped, startled by the outburst. Her anger deflated as she stared at Eleven who hadn't once opened his mouth. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

"Get out! I said get out!" A familiar voice shouted in rage.

May's mouth went dry. "D-D-Doctor?"

The Eleventh Doctor's image shimmered and shuttered before completely disappearing, revealing a person standing behind him a few feet away. Ten's eyes were blazing like a storm, his face twisted in such fury, and posture tight and threatening - he raised his sonic.

"Get out, Leech!"

"D-D-Doctor I don't –" He took a step forward, and May felt her knees go weak in fear. She was beginning to choke on it.

"You've caused nothing but pain for me ever since you've stepped into my life." He told her, scowling. "Get out of my sight, before I do something that would be unpleasant for both of us." She couldn't move. May was paralyzed by the rare fear coursing through her veins. _The Oncoming Storm._ He was scary. So scary. May was sure she would be crying if the fear hadn't stunted her tears.

"Get out!" And he charged her. May felt the fight or flight mechanism kick in inside her, and all the endorphins charged through her body like stampeding elephants. May was running through the hallway before she even knew it. _Run. Run. In danger. Run! Run! Escape!_

In a flash she was in the console room, and even then she still didn't slow down. She ran past the console across the ramp, and out the Tardis's doors, which opened without her even touching them.

May was so distressed she did not notice a person directly in front of her until it was too late.

"Chan, watch out, tho!"

May hit the body full throttle, and together they tumbled to the ground. May groaned as searing pain went up her spine. _No time. No time!_ Her mind screamed at her. _The Doctor is coming! He is right behind you!_ May sat up, and looked around franticly. The room was spinning, and bright specs of light could be seen from the corner of her eyes. Her sense were so heightened at the moment, she could her every tick, every buzz from the electronics in the room.

But no Doctor.

_He's coming. He's coming! Run!_

Someone latched onto her arm, and began pulling her upward. May screamed.

"Chan, get up. Hurry, tho!" Chantho's face entered her vision, her dark eyes were wide and dilated – she looked terrified. _Had the Doctor finally snapped? Was he going to kill them all?_

"You little -."

May's head snapped to the person who laid flat beside her. Her eyes widened as she realization that she had knocked over Yana.

"P-Professor I –" She started to apologize, but stopped when his eyes caught hers. His face was absolutely twisted. Yana's eyes had lost their sparkle and wonder-lust. They were now dark and angry; holding such cruel intelligence. The kind professor, the man human-kind would sing songs for, was gone – lost.

"I had forgotten you, child."

_The Master._

While May stumbled onto her feet, Chantho had stepped in front of her, hand grasping May's wrist as the female Malmooth kept her hidden behind her back. Chantho kept the gun pointed towards the Master's chest as he got to his feet.

"Chan, Professor, you are sick, tho." Chantho's grip was tight, but May could barely feel it. She could barely feel anything anymore. Just the fear – the choking fear. "Chan, we sh-should get the D-Doctor. He would kn-know what to d-do, tho."

The Master laughed mockingly. "Oh yes. The Doctor would know, but I don't think I want to stay to find out his reaction. However amusing it would be." The Master knelt, and grabbed a fallen cable that was sparkling dangerously. Chantho breathing hiccupped, and she let May go in order to grasp the gun with both hands. May backed up several paces, hyperventilating. _No. No. No. No. No. No! No! No!_

"Chan, please stop, tho." She begged. "Chan, I don't w-want to hurt you, Professor. You're sick, tho."

"Oh yes, very _very_ sick." The Master agreed with a snarl. "Sick of you, and you annoying "chan" and "tho". For years, I've had to listen to it, and it was driving me _insane_ \- but no more. No more."

"Chan, please Professor, tho." She begged, backing away.

The Master stalked forward. "That's _not_. My. Name!"

"Chan, please -!" She turned slightly to the side, and the two women locked gazes. May's mouth went dry. She knew. Chantho knew -

_She knows she was going die._

Chantho opened her mouth. "- run."

"Professor! Open this door! Chantho!"

May began screaming. She screamed as the Master electrocuted Chantho in front of her very eyes. She screamed as Chantho fell to the ground, her body still twitching in aftershocks. She continued screaming when the Master stalked towards her eyes glinting with malice.

"Shut up, vermin!" the Master snapped, and gripped her hair. "Or I will kill you too. Either way, I will have silence."

May began scratching at his wrists as she was dragged across the floor kicking and still screaming.

"Shut up!"

"May? May?" She heard the Doctor cry out. He sounded panicked. "What's wrong? May! Professor! Chantho!"

_No! No! No! No! No! No! No!_ Her mind screamed. She was so scared. So scared. She was going to die. She didn't want to die.

The Master, tired of her consistent squirming, tossed May to the side. Instantly, May rolled to all fours and began crawling away. _Run. Run. Hide._

But the Master wasn't done with her yet. He stepped onto her back, and pushed her down to the ground. Unimaginable pain blossomed across her side causing May's eyes to bulge and tear up. The Master continued to repeatedly kick her despite May's pleas and apologies.

"Stay quiet." The Master threatened. "I have use for you yet, vermin."

May whimpered, she could taste blood on her tongue. "Okay...okay...sorry...sorry...sorry."

Satisfied, the Master made his way to the Tardis. He removed the thick power cable out of the way, and tossed it back inside; quickly. There was more frantic yelling outside, but the Master ignored it all as he made his way to the table in the sitting area, where the jar with the Doctor's hand sat.

The Master smiled.

_Everything is fine. Everything will be fine. Just be quiet. Just be quiet. Just do as he says._

Chantho moved from her position on the floor, her hand reaching out blindly for the gun just inches away. May watched her in morbid fascination. The dying alien was still trying to save her, using every bit of her strength she had left.

_Please. Please, I don't...you can't..._

The Master ignorant of his surroundings walked into the Tardis with the jar, when he came out just moments later, he had a pleased sort of grin on his face.

"Now then -." He began before his eyes widened in shock. It was too late. Chantho held the gun with shaky hands, and with the last bit of strength, pulled the trigger. At the same time, the door opened wide revealing the Doctor.

"No!"

Chantho fell to the ground, unmoving, as soon as her shot hit its mark. May released a pathetic mewling sound and she curled into herself tighter. _No._

The Master snarled as he held his wounded chest, eyes ablaze as he glared at the other time lord.

"Doctor."

And that was the only warning he received before the Master backed away - retreating into the Tardis.

"No! Stop!" The Doctor cried as he ran for the police box. He hit the doors, but they wouldn't budge. "Let me in! Let me in!" The entire Tardis locked with an audible _click,_ and the Doctor fell into a panic.

"I'm begging you." He pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and began sonic-ing his own Tardis. "Everything's changed!"

"Doctor!" Jack yelled from his position at the door. He was trying to push it close to block the oncoming Kind. "I broke the lock! It won't close!"

"They're coming. Doctor!"

Jack was ignored as the Doctor began to beg the Master. "It's only the two of us! We're the only ones left! Just let me in!"

"Doctor, she dead." Exclaimed Martha as she knelt over the female Malmooth. "Chantho's dead." She looked up, pain etched on her face, only to see May in fetal position not a few feet away.

Martha's eyes widened, expression changing to terror. "May!"

The Doctor's head snapped towards her, following her gaze before settling them on the curled figure. His mouth began opening and closing, but he was unable to form words. Bright lights exploded from the Tardis, gaining the Doctor attention.

"Guys, a little help here!" Shouted Jack as he struggled with the door. The Kind were pushing further in.

Martha bit her lip as she looked desperately between May and Jack. When the Master started laughing, it was then she jumped into action. Martha bolted for the door.

"Now then, Doc-Tor." The Master let out a gasp in surprise. "Ooo, new voice. Hello, hello, hello~!"

May peaked under her lashes to look at the Doctor. He was so sad. So heartbroken. Did he realize just who was inside his Tardis? Was he realizing all was lost? That they were all lost?

"Doctor, you better think of something!" shouted Jack. "I can't hold it much longer."

**"** Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me." His voice paused for effect. "I don't think so!"

Martha, struggling with the door, looked to the Tardis in surprise. "Hold on, I know that voice."

"I'm asking you really properly." The Doctor shouted, desperate. "Just stop. Just think!"

"And what company, Doctor!" the Master ignored him, he sounded jovial in fact. "Don't think I didn't notice. Even that daft old fool noticed!"

The Master laughed for just a moment before his voice grew serious.

"How can you stand it, Doctor? How can you stand to look at her?" May winced, for there was no need to question who he was talking about. She looked over at the Doctor. He was still staring intensly at the Tardis, but his hands were clenched into fists.

The Master voice turned thoughtful. "Masochism, maybe?"

"Please, stop this. Just let me in." May could only hear the Master chuckle.

"Use my name." He enticed softly.

"Master." The Doctor looked obviously pained. "I'm sorry."

The Tardis came to life, and the Master shouted in rage "Tough!"

The Doctor activated his sonic in a last attempt to stop him, but it was meaningless. The Tardis was already dematerializing.

"End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye."

Then he was gone, along with the Tardis.

May closed her eyes, and wished herself away. Everything was wrong. _So wrong._ Maybe she had been punished enough. Maybe she could wake up now. Maybe –

"Get up, May." The Doctor commanded. May froze. _No. No. Not this again. Can't he leave me alone? Leave me alone, please._

"I'm sorry, but we don't have time." The Doctor grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her up.

May broke. "Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! I'm sorry. S-s-sorry." She began hitting at his chest desperately. "Please, don't hurt me! Let me go! Just let me leave!"

She had been treated with hostility by a man she idolized, almost eaten by cannibals, attacked by a sentient box, and almost murdered by a psychotic Time Lord - people had obviously overrated the adventures with the Doctor.

And May was completely done with it. "Just leave me alone."

The Doctor stopped walking, and twisted her around by her shoulders, in order to stare down at her. Taking in her fear stricken face, shaken body, and red pleading eyes; the Doctor pressed his forehead against hers. May was so surprised her pleas hiccupped to a stop.

"Never." He whispered before pulling away, looking down at her with such sadness, it broke her very heart.

_W-w-what?_

"Doctor!" Martha shouted eyes wide and fearful. "What do we do?"

The Doctor gripped his sonic.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, looking directly at the ex-time agent when doing so.

Jack's expression turned into a look of surprise. "Doctor, you said -."

"I'm sorry."

The Doctor let go of May's wrist in order to hold her hand, and capturing her forlorn gaze.

His expression turned serious. "I don't have time to explain, but know this -." He pressed his forehead to hers again. "I will find you. I always find you."

She didn't know if he meant that as a promise - or a threat.

May swallowed thickly. "Doctor, I don't un-understand."

"I know." And he took her hand, and placed it over Jack's vortex manipulator. "-and for once, that is okay." There was the buzzing sound of the Doctor's screwdriver, and his shout of –

"Allons-y!"

Then May was pulled backwards by some unknown force, and she felt her consciousness slip away as light faded from her vision. She fell into darkness.

_Finally._


	3. Her name is IIyase: The One He Loved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Original content. May is on another planet. How will she cope?

**_Year 5847, Planet Paigeo_ **

**_Fer'Hhen Estate; Turnip Capital, Yriashex_ **

_I find it humorous that they are calling it, The Loveless War, because it was ironic. The war had started because of love, but that is what happens with time - people forget. I could count though, the people who still did remember on just two of my hands. There used to be thousands of us. The exact count, if one would like to put it in numbers, would be 13, 487 - because that is how many of us were imprisoned together in the 55 century by the Chula. Simply, for being born._

"Captain-Sergeant Raltz, sir."

Said man looked up from his writing desk to settle lazy eyes on a young man in military uniform. The uniform was traditional Pagon: pure white collared jacket buttoned together on its sides and black pants with a stripe of white running down its side. His black flat cap was sitting on the side of his head with three golden stars sewn upon it.

Raltz turned back to his writing. "What is it, First?"

_Pagons are natives of the planet Paigeo a neighboring planet to Chuponia V. The Chula had used it as a settlement planet for over three thousand years. They used their settlers as free labor for agriculture and mass production of exotic materials for their own pleasures. Soon after, the tariffs began and the Pagons had to pay the Chula for even being alive. For millennials, no Pagon born had ever set foot upon the home planet until four hundred years ago._

"Third Captain Lieutenant Markel has arrived, sir." The young man lifted his left arms and crossed them over his chest slanting his head in a slight bow. "He wants to know when you wish to begin."

_Pagons also ran taller than the average Chula, standing somewhere between 5 foot 8 and 5 foot 11. They have a sturdy and muscular build compared to the slim and bony Chula. I hypothesis this is because of Paigeo's heavy atmosphere and the ancient settlers adaption to their environment. The Pagons' had evolved into a completely different species in comparison to their relatives. They were bigger, stronger, and resilient – I just had to marry one._

"Tell my son - " Raltz began unconcerned; he licked the ink pen before posing it over the paper. " – We just won ourselves a war. He should relax – not rush into politics."

The First's naturally pink skin seemed to pale a bit around the face at that statement, and he shifted uncomfortably in his position. _Poor underling._ He shouldn't tease the boy. His son had a reputation for being a hard man to serve under.

"Sir."

_The Pagons as a whole were not the brightest. Years of being uneducated and underdeveloped as a species took its ramifications. Their economy regressed backwards while the Chula evolved at their expense. The Pagons though were not simpletons by any means. They were adaptable species, and my wife was a leading activist. She was never one for letting people look down upon her._

"Has Kaurd arrived yet?" Raltz asked without giving the First a glance. "The old bastard said he would be here. I should have known he would be late."

_She died in the Battle of Chapel Station, along with my unborn daughter. I lost my youngest son fifty years later on a surprise ambush in a captured Chula state during a routine inspection._

"Sir, I am sorry to inform you that First Class Sergeant Kaurd has passed on." The First replied with another bow - body angled low to the floor. Raltz paused in his writing, and sat frozen in his position – absorbing the disturbing information. He stared at the wall in front of him with such intensity that it had the First squirming.

"When?" He asked gravely.

The First's red eyes shifted nervously. "Yesterday morning, sir. It is said he died in his sleep."

"Foul play?" Raltz questioned sitting his pen down. The war ended less than a week ago, there could quite possibly be those who still feel bitter about their winning. _No, it will always be a possibility. Vengeance is a virus._ Raltz pushed away from his desk, wheeling his chair around so he could properly face the young man.

The First shook his head and stood up straight. "No evidence of malicious intent could be found. It appears to be all natural causes."

"Hm." Raltz rubbed his chin, and looked down in contemplation. "Really now." He turned around, and began wheeling himself across the room to another desk. The room they had placed him was very posh compared to what he was used too. Very bright and neat compared the dingy and dirty rooms he had used for the army's operations. The suite was spacious enough he could easily maneuver himself in for which he was grateful for – _Oh, the tales I could tell of pumping knees and rolling over toes of the army's many officers_ – but the tall windows had him nervous. Too many years of avoiding assassinations, and snipers aiming through broken panes, left its mark in his very soul. His wariness of them had him avoiding them at all cost. So he avoided the window's light by going around it, before reaching his intended destination. Now, where did he put it?

"His death is top priority." Raltz stated scrummaging though the drawers of the desk. "I want a blood test, his body analyzed. I want statements from witnesses telling me the meals he ate, the people he met, and where he travelled to that day. I want everything possibly done to rule out murder."

"Yes, sir."

Raltz lifted an old worn photograph and held it up in the light. The people in photo were smiling – eyes so innocent and clear – nothing like the eyes he has gazed into for decades.

"How old are you, First?" Raltz asked gripping the photo twirling his chair around. The Pagon stood straighter, shoulders held back.

"139, sir."

Not even old enough to be considered a man yet. Though, he wasn't one to talk - he was only three years older when he joined the resistance. Still, he felt an overwhelming sadness at the thought of all those children that had died needlessly. Against his and few other's protests, the army had set an age limit of 115 years were boys and girls were conscripted. They had lost so many in battle, and were in dire need of more men. Instead of reaching out for help, they filled the empty spaces with children. They dressed them up as soldiers, taught them how to kill, and sent them to their deaths in the name of freedom.

Soon though, none of that mattered. When the war turned for the worse, children even younger raised arms in defense of their parents or siblings. There were many things Raltz regrets not fighting harder for.

"Tell my son that the coronation will start on time: not a second earlier, not a second later." He said without raising his head – content to stare at the old photography. "Despite his impatience on the matter. I will be there when I am needed."

"I-I will, sir."

"Good." And he waved his left hands. "Dismissed."

The First bowed before turning on his heels and walking briskly out of Raltz's quarters. Reminiscing over the picture, the old man wheeled himself back to his writing desk. He recalled the day the picture was taken perfectly. Despite what is said about memory fading over the years, Raltz's remembers his teenage years the clearest. They were precious to him.

The five of them together: Kaurd, Vox, Zul, Blyph, and himself.

_We were called the Five Fiends – always getting into trouble, always causing trouble. Sometimes unintentional, sometimes not. Most of the time we just enjoyed hanging out, skipping the Toil, and visiting_ her _._

Raltz's caressed the photo gently. He remembered how they kept pushing and falling over themselves just to be near her. Except Vox, she never understood their obsession with _her_ , so she stood off in the corner shaking her head with a barest of smiles. Blyph, the little bastard, had sneaked his way to _her_ front, and was grasping _her_ torso - face pressed into _her_ chest. Kaurd had his arms thrown around both Zul and younger Raltz smiling broadly. Zul's face was purple with rage as he tried to peel Blyph off _her,_ and younger Raltz's ears were tinted dark blue in embarrassment from being even near _her_.

_She_ just sat there – laughing – holding Blyph in her arms.

_Most people believe the war started because of the affair between Queen Viefua and her human lover, but they are mistaken. The hate and resentment the Hybrids held for the Chula had been growing for centuries. Generation after generation it grew until it had nowhere to go but out. The last years before had been the worst. Small acts rebellion were treated with treason and the wrong doers were sent into exile – banished to Akmehn's heart – the black hole of Chuponia V. I lost my father 78 years before the war, I had been only a small boy then, and my mother heavily pregnant. I lost her and my little sister 24 years after._

_No. It wasn't the queen who, as they say, broke the Kreptorian's back._

_It was_ her.

"Captian–Sergeant Raltz, you have a visitor, sir."

Raltz looked up from his writing desk to stare at another soldier, but this time dressed in Hybrid colors. Completely grey from the jacket to the boots, and the flat hat which sat upon her head. It was an exact replica to the uniform they had worn in penitentiary on Chuponia V. A reminder: to who they were, where they came from, and what they fought for.

"Who is it?"

The pale white female hybrid looked uncomfortable, and she glanced backwards.

"It's a human…sir." She said slowly. "Esteemed Duchess of the Americas, Princess of Earth, and Defender of Humanity."

_Humans._

_They came to our aide in the last century of the war. The Great Human Empire in the beginning stayed on the side lines, biding their time, sending care packages from the shadows. They waited to see our conviction; our drive for freedom. (The humans always had a certain love for minorities.) They were a great friend and ally to the rebellion._

_Still…_

"Royalty?" Raltz's voice cracked in surprise, eyes wide. "The human delegates are royalty?"

"It appears so, sir."

Raltz's set his pen down, and turned to face the soldier. He waved his hands exaggeratedly. "Well, let her in, Zvaxtra. Let her in."

She bowed, arms crossed over her chest, and abruptly turned. _Royalty, really?_ Raltz's smoothed out his vest nervously. He expected government officials, maybe the Earth President, but human royalty? It was an honor.

_And with the title '_ Defender of Humanity _' it must be someone of great importance._

The door opened again revealing Zvaxtra ushering in a woman wearing a violet dress.

Flustered, Raltz quickly crossed his arms, and bowed. "Greeting, your highness. It is an honor - ."

Looking up at the delegate, his entire body froze. His eyes grew wide, mouth went dry, and his heart thundered in his chest. _No._

The woman groaned and covered her face with her hands, shaking her head. "Dang it, I _told_ him not to call me that. This is so embarrassing."

_It can't be…It can't, she…_ She peered between her fingers at him, staring at him with those same piercing eyes he remembered so well. She lowered her hands to her side, and then smiled at him, that _same_ smile that made his soul quiver. His old heart began beating faster even after all these centuries.

"Hello, Joekraltz."

How long had it been since anyone called him by his full name? So long, so long ago he couldn't even remember. He had always been just Raltz. Even his parents, who had given him the name, always called him Raltz. Only _she_ …only she ever called him by his full name.

"IIyase."

_My goddess._

_..._

_.._

* * *

_.._

_..._

**Year 5440, Planet Chuponia V**

**High Fall Penitentiary; Loem**

"Raltz. Raltz. Chuponia V to Raltz. Come in Raltz." Kaurd called out, punching his shoulder. Raltz glared, gripping his shoulder before shoving off the annoying bugger.

"What!" he hissed, pushing his best friend again.

Kaurd laughed slinging an arm around him. "Don't be that way."

"Get off." He grumbled, and looked down at his lunch. He shoveled the green pasta into his mouth with veracity, but his eyes betrayed his thoughts. They slowly began moving back to their original target: the tall brunette human woman currently chatting with another man.

"Take a picture it will last longer."

Raltz punched his best friend – hard - spilling his meal, all without looking away from the woman.

Vox sighed, and placed down her food. "I don't understand your obsession. She just a human, and not even a pretty one."

"You are blinded by jealousy, Knovokx." Zul pointed, waving his fork at the other violet hybrid. "Such pettiness is unbecoming of a young lady."

Vox glowered. "What did you just say?"

"I like her." Blyph interrupted, sneaking an arm around Vox stealing a piece of her lunch. "She's nice."

"That's only because you're the youngest." Kaurd accuses wiggling his eyebrows. "She babies you."

"Nah uh!" Blyph argued puffing out his cheeks. "She says I am growing into a fine young man."

"You are 81 years old." Vox huffed, rolling her eyes. "Barely out of your diapers."

"Oh, I guess being in your 130s makes you an old hag then." Blyph quipped grabbing another piece of her lunch.

"You~!" Vox snarled and tackled the youngest to the ground.

"She is a beauty." Zul sighed leaning against his hand. "And kind heart makes her that much more. If you don't take a chance my friend, I might woe her myself."

Raltz turned to him and glowered – ears turning blue. "It's not like that…w-we're just friends.

Vox snorted as she boxed Blyph's ears. "Riiight~."

"Raltz." Kaurd sighed, shaking his head, settling a hand on his blue skinned friend's shoulder. "We are friends. _Vox_ is a friend and she is barely a female –." The female hybrid let out an indignant yell. "I've watched you pine after this female since she stepped foot in this penitentiary. Man up."

Raltz glowered and turned away. "Shut up."

It wasn't like he didn't want to talk to her. She was just so…so beautiful. His heart couldn't handle being even near her. He felt like he was having a heart attack every time. Plus, when he talked her, he sounded like an idiot: his hands shook, legs went jelly, body temperature so hot he thought he would melt - he was completely unlike himself.

It was embarrassing.

"I don't like her." Vox stated sitting back down at their little table. Well, it wasn't really a table. It was just an extra metal crate they had found years ago, forgotten. They claimed it, and now it sat in their makeshift hideout. A space on top of the roof of a home-unit long abandoned. There was only two chairs, but there was a ledge that was easily used as a bench for the five. Each had their own cots made from towels, blankets, and old shirts they found or stole. This was their home.

For some, because they had no other place to go, and others; Raltz glanced at Kaurd. _Their home was no home at all._

"You don't like anyone." Zul commented with bored expression on his violet face.

"Except Lefaghy." Blyph sang happily. "Vox and Leffy sittin' in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g ~."

Vox turned dark purple and she narrowed her rose colored eyes. "Do you _want_ to die today, kid?"

"Come on go talk to her!" Kaurd urged shoving his friend.

"No way!" He denied, and shoved back. He did not want to make a fool of himself _again_. Seeing her once a day for class was bad enough. Raltz guessed he could stop going, it wasn't mandatory in the penitentiary. Vox doesn't even bother going, stating why she should learn anything related to the Chula or the world when neither cared about her. Zul occasional came, but complains about the energy it took to pay attention and often skipped to just sleep or be with other female companions. Hybrid or human – neither mattered to him. The only constant goers were him, Kaurd, and Blyph.

Raltz felt disheartened at the thought of never seeing her though. He enjoyed the classes, but only because she was teaching them. He often wondered if he would even attend if she wasn't there. Probably not.

"Don't be a baby." Zul commented, rolling his green eyes, annoyed. "Look there she goes. Go ask her if she needs help carrying her books. Women love that."

"I'll ask her!" Blyph exclaimed jumping out his seat, a big grin plastered on his pale white face.

Kaurd jumped to his feet and pulled the youngest back. "Sit down! Not you!"

"But I want to talk to IIyase too." He pouted with wide innocent blue eyes.

"Don't care."

"Grow some balls, Raltz." Vox commented, expression aloof as she ate. "She won't bite. Human teeth are dull and brittle anyway."

"I must disagree with that statement." Zul stated matter-of-factly. "I know from exp-"

Vox punched him in the face before he could say more. Raltz sighed, _my friends…_

Kaurd continued shoving him off the ledge till he was standing on his feet. "Go. Go. Go. Go! Before it's too late!"

Raltz gritted his teeth. "Fine! Only just to make you guys shut up!"

He began walking stiffly away ignoring the hooting and cheering from his idiotic friends. Why did he even hang out with them? Raltz began running quickly down the stairs, ignoring the looks and shouts from the other homeless occupants in the unit. Already he could feel his heart racing in his chest, and nerves making his knees weak. He briefly wondered if he just continued running straight, maybe he could tell the others he missed her? Lost her in the crowd. Kaurd would call him a coward for giving up, but whatever.

At least, he wouldn't have to face IIyase - alone.

With an escape plan in mind, he began running faster towards the exit. As soon as he made it out though, Raltz slammed into another body. That somebody gave a startled yelp, and began falling backwards. In an attempt to help, Raltz reached out to stop them, but gravity wasn't with him.

Raltz landed on something soft.

"Umm, h-hello Joekraltz." IIyase's voice gave a hesitant chuckle in his ear. "In a hurry?"

Raltz's heart stuttered in his chest as he laid there frozen, sprawled over her. His face was pressed against her shoulder, his hands holding her torso, and his legs tangled around hers. Raltz could hear the howls of laughter from his friends on the rooftop. _No, most defiantly_ ex _-friends._

His face was bleeding dark blue as he felt IIyase's chest brush against his every time she breathed. Gods, he hoped she couldn't feel his pounding heart.

"Do you mind getting off me, please?" She asked, her bell-like voice sending shivers down his spine. "You're squishing me."

Raltz snapped to attention. "Yes! Of course!"

He jumped to his feet and backed away, his arms behind his back as he rubbed his hands nervously. IIyase pushed herself off the floor brushing off her pants. She looked at him with those small eyes that humans seem to have. With eyes that never seemed to pick a color, always shifting from brown, gold, and green. He remembers she once called them hazel.

He loved them. He loved everything about her.

"I-I'm so so so s-s-sorry." He stuttered while mentally berating himself. He was always such a buffoon around her! Why couldn't he just act normal? Why was it so hard? He needed to find himself a hole and bury himself in it. Maybe that would save him from this embarrassment.

"It's okay." She laughed, and he felt his stomach flip in response. "No harm no foul."

He nodded dumbly in response, and looked away in embarrassment. There was a couple seconds of awkward silence (on his part) when Raltz felt his mouth opening without his permission.

"Um, w-w-where you headed too, I-I-IIyase?" he asked, and he wanted to kick himself. _What are you doing!_ He screamed at himself. _Are you trying to make a fool of yourself? Do you enjoy self-punishment?_

"I received new books today." She replied pointing to the books now scattered on the floor. "I was heading to the library."

"Oh." Raltz mumbled guiltily. "C-c-can I help y-you? I-I did knock in-into you."

…he was a dead man, but her smile made it worth it.

"I would love that."

Raltz face turned blue. _Love?_

Together they picked up the scattered books, and walked down the bustling hallway side by side. Raltz couldn't repress the goofy grin he held on his face.

The hallway, or rather, Red Row as it was called; was packed with people. Humans and hybrids gathered around dingy shops or food banks bargaining with the little coin they had. Coin they made in the Toil, a time of day were they could work in either the Mine or the Foundry. They were the only _legal_ jobs set by the Chula. The only jobs you could have if you wanted money for food, because the prison just didn't serve free food. You couldn't even grow food because the floor was metal and rock.

The penitentiary was a prison, but in reality, it was once a metropolis. The hybrids whose very lives were decreed unlawful, were sent to live here, along with the occasional human offender. It had been built in a crater over soil that was highly rich in material. It was a city built for mining. A time long ago there used to be stairs and elevators that lead to outside to Sky Fall; a small town at the edge of the crater. It was now used as an entrance for the Chula guards and fresh meat. It's called jokingly the Information Center among the hybrids.

The penitentiary was huge, and so was its population. So in order to control their prisoners more effectively, the Chula had broken the city into seven sections, divided by huge steel walls. Still, age wears on all things, and the prisoners of High Fall have never been closer.

"How are you Joekraltz?" Asked IIyase suddenly startling Raltz out of his thoughts.

He blinked rapidly. "I – ah – I'm good. Fine. G-great."

He was so lame.

She chuckled, and Raltz was suddenly entranced with the movement of her hand as she pushed back her brown locks.

"That's good. I'm glad."

"You are?" he asked amazed, green eyes wide. "Why?"

She smiled. "You and Kaurd are the best in my class, and I know how hard it's been lately around here with the rebellion and the attacks. I just want to make sure my students are safe."

So she wasn't concerned about him just personally. Raltz felt slightly disappointed, but at the same time, happy that she cared about him and the others. Not many do except maybe the elders.

"We are fine, IIyase." He assured looking up at the woman. "Don't worry so much."

He was surprised when her cheeks turned rosy red in embarrassment. "I can't help it, your special to me."

Raltz heart flipped in his chest. He was special to her.

She continued completely missing the look of adoration she was receiving. "You guys are family to me."

"W-w-we think so too!" Raltz interrupted, voice high pitched in emotion. "I mean, w-we care a lot about you IIyase."

IIyase smiled brightly, accentuating the piercings on her cheeks. He always wondered why she had all those piercings on her face. Not that it stifled her beauty - no. In fact, Raltz thought it gave her character. It made her, IIyase. The person he liked the most. Maybe it was a tribal marking?

He would ask about them another day.

"Thank you. That means a lot, but I would feel better if Zul'ie actually showed up to class." She stated giving Raltz a look with raised brows. "Tell him he better be there tomorrow, and tell Knovokx to come. I'm sure she would enjoy it. Learning is fun."

_Doubt it._ Raltz thought begrudgingly. _Vox doesn't find a lot of things fun anymore._

"Do you like teaching?" he questioned angling his head upward. "I don't see how it could be teaching a bunch of dumb kids."

"Hey!" IIyase barked narrowing her eyes, and she bumped her elbow with his shoulder. "Don't call my students dumb! You are not dumb!"

Raltz winced. There he goes again, opening his big mouth.

"All my students are bright and intelligent." She growled, raising her head proudly. "I'm just teaching them to be more."

"More?" Raltz questioned with raise brows.

"More wise." She replied, looking on ahead, a small smile on her face. "The wiser a person is about the world, the more likely they will succeed in it."

"I don't understand how learning about Chula history or learning to read and write will amount anything in the penitentiary." He commented, using Vox's words as his own. "There is no need for it here."

"Wrong, you are, my young student." She grinned, bumping him again with her elbow, but less aggressively. "Change in the wind, I feel. Unite us all, this great change will."

Raltz gave her a bewildered look, before shaking his head. "What are you talking about?"

IIyase laughed, throwing her head back. "No more yoda reference for you then. I'm talking about how they are going to be loosening the strings on my class." Excitement flared in her eyes, and her body literally vibrated with happiness. "I'm getting more books for the library, and I've expanded my teaching sessions to the older generations. I've talked to the guard captain, and he has agreed to make it mandatory for children 75 years and younger to come to class."

She began skipping.

"Soon I can take on assistants, and then start up schools in the other sections. I could do field trips outside the penitentiary - ."

Raltz stopped her right there. His head spinning. "O-outside the penitentiary? They would allow that?"

IIyase pouted, looking a little offended. "Of course they would! They would have too! It's in the name of learning!"

"I don't think they care about the name of it."

"They would have too!" She defended, stopping and glaring at the hybrid. "If they see what kind of people who live here, people who thirst for knowledge and wisdom, they would. The Chula would understand that savage do not live here, only honest living _knowledgeable_ people."

Raltz didn't look convinced. "Do you really believe that?"

"Yes." She beamed, and began walking again. "Sometime you just need to give people a nudge in the right direction in order to make them see."

Raltz was silent as he looked down at his feet. IIyase was something else. Here she was, fighting a fight that wasn't even hers for a race that wasn't her own, using books and words as her weapons. She was incredible. Naive, but incredible all the same.

"If you're free where would you go?" he asked suddenly, curious. It was a fancy idea, and completely unrealistic, but he was curious all the same.

IIyase face fell, and she looked suddenly solemn. "I don't know. This place is all I've known for the past two and a half years. I want to say home, but…I don't know where that is anymore."

"Are you lost?"

IIyase smiled, but it was so sad it made his heart ache. "Yeah, I'm lost and all alone. He said, he would find me, but he hasn't yet." She looked up towards the sky facing the sun. The light from the sunset shined down her making her look like an angel sent from heaven. Raltz heart skipped a beat.

"And I'm not sure I want him too." She finished, and looked down, grieved.

"I-I-I could be your home!" He spoke quickly, feeling the desperate need to change her expression. Make her smile again. Anything to stop her from breaking his heart in two.

"I-I mean, we – my friends and I – we could be your home." He rephrased feeling his face heat in embarrassment. "W-w-we would l-love -."

He should stop talking now, he was embarrassing himself; but the look of joy on her face was worth any self-hate he held.

"Thank you. I would…I would –." Her face turned pink, and she looked upwards, smiling. "I would like that, I think."

Raltz beamed in happiness as they walked in comfortable silence down the hallway. As they reached the end, ready turn right on Black Alley, IIyase stopped and stared over at a Chula guard outpost near a functioning elevator.

"Sorry Joekraltz." She apologized, and motioned over to the station. "Quick detour."

Raltz hesitated before nodding slowly. He wasn't a fan of the Chula guard, they were in fact his retainers. None of the hybrids were on good terms with their cousin species except maybe the undertakers. Still, if IIyase wanted to speak to them, who was he to stop her? But he wasn't going to let her go alone. Raltz followed closely behind her watching the guard with suspicion.

The Chula were a species on the short side, growing to about 5 foot 5 maybe 5 foot 6. The skin color often ranged from white, purple, green, or blue; but it was hard telling when the guard wore their helmets over their head and skin tight suits. He learned this from the books IIyase read in class. Their heads were circular like humans, but they had large expressive eyes and tiny mouths with flat noses. The hybrids took mostly after their cousins, including the physical trait of two extra arms. Something that the humans lacked.

Some may wonder why the Chula would imprison them when they were so much alike? It was because of the characteristics that revealed their human DNA. Hybrids were a cross breed between Chula and humans, and that was ungodly to the Chula Empire. So they gathered them up and hide them away, and if their human counterpart didn't denounce their Chula lover; they too were sent away. Discretely of course, they wouldn't want the Human Empire to notice.

Raltz's human disfigurement was five fingers instead of four.

"Good evening, Second Guard Captain Kel'um." IIyase greeted the Chula upon approach. "How are you today?"

The Chula regarded the human for a moment then Raltz before looking back to his fellow guards. It was hard to tell his expression behind his blue visor, but his posture was stiff.

"Now is not a good time, IIyase."

She frowned and cocked her head, confused. "Everything alright, Captain?"

Raltz spoke up. "Maybe we should just leav -.'

IIyase stepped forward and cut him off. "Captain? You okay? I was just wondering about those books we talked about."

The Chula captain sighed, and Raltz tensed as the guards seemed to gather closer around them. The elevator dinged, and the hover bots pointed their guns towards it.

Hover bots. He hated hover bots.

"I don't think that's going to happen anymore." Kel'um replied, looking at IIyase over his shoulder before crossing his arms behind his back and walking away.

IIyase expression changed from shocked, disheartened, too angry in matter of seconds.

"W-w-what do you mean?" She shouted, shoving the books she was carrying into Raltz's arms. "What happened? Maybe we can talk about it -."

Kel'um snapped his fingers, and the surrounding guards lifted their weapons. Passersby scrambled away in fright, shouting.

Raltz stepped in front of IIyase, and tried to push her back with his body.

"IIyase, lets go -."

She wouldn't hear him, and stubbornly pushed by him. "What's going on? Tell me. We had a deal."

"Deals off." Kel'um said in finality, and the elevator doors opened. "Sorry, IIyase."

Inside the elevator stood a human man shackled, looking grim as he eyed his Chula guards with a calculative look. They pushed him out, and the brunette human man stumbled.

"Watch it." he snapped with a glare.

IIyase froze, her eyes going wide and her mouth hanging open in shock. She became as white as Blyph, something unheard of in humans.

"IIyase?" He whispered in concern. She just shook her head.

"No, no, it can't be." She whispered, and took a step forward, saying in a louder voice. "J-Jack? Is that y-you?"

The human, _Jack,_ looked towards IIyase; eyes travelling slowly up her body before grinning in a way that had Raltz snarling.

"Sorry, beautiful." He flirted, and winked causing her to flush red. "I don't know a Jack, but the way you sighed his name, makes me a bit jealous that I'm not him."

Kel'um cleared his throat gaining everyone's attention except IIyase. She was staring wide eyed at not _Jack,_ shaking her head and mumbling something to soft for Raltz's to hear.

"Under the decree of his Majesty Qybyrk: for the acts of ill-intent towards the Chula Empire, the assault of its Queen Viefua, and blasphemous actions that have angered the gods. _Jacob Ledbetter_ , will be sentenced to the High Fall penitentiary to live out his days till the date of his exile in six months' time."

Jack/Jacob's brows rose in surprise. "Well, that doesn't sound to bad." And he grinned cheekily.

IIyase breathing hiccupped, and she swayed, eyes rolling back. Raltz dropped the books in order to catch the female human from hitting the ground.

Jacob Ledbetter was a dead man walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing an original story is difficult because unlike a fanfiction, you don't have a step by step guide on how the chapter should play out. An original story is all on you. Bit nerve wracking. I agonized over this chapter for days. I had about three or four different directions it could have gone, but none them satisfied me. Then I had an idea: What if I switched it up a little? There is a couple episodes on Doctor Who where instead about the Doctor and his adventure, it is about the people he interacts with. By name: Love and Monsters, Blink, and The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe. I wanted to do something like that. I wanted you guys to get more of a 3D outlook on this adventure. If I had done this in May's POV I feel you would have been sort of unattached about the whole situation. The Chula and the Hybrids had been boarder-lining war for years, and May just unfortunately arrived near the breaking point. May would have only had a taste, and so would you. So, I decided on a different approach - which is Raltz.
> 
> The Chula are a canon species, but we don't know much about them (I looked). They are first mentioned in the Empty Child which (spoilers, sweeties) coincidentally is going to be next episode I am writing. All we know about the Chula is that they are a highly advance race with amazing medical skills. So I gave the Chula a face. I wanted them to be humanoid, but completely alien. I didn't want May to be stuck with humans while waiting for the Doctor. I really wanted to desensitize her, and push her out of that denial faze. Hey, this is real. They are real. I am not dreaming. Because lets be honest, people can deny something really hard if they put effort into it. So placing her on an alien planet with aliens seemed the only logical option.
> 
> I've noticed with OCs they always seem to automatically have a good standing brother-sister relationship with Jack right off the bat. They flirt, maybe dance a little, then ( ~ BA-BAM! ~ ) BFF's for life. And how long did they know each other before Bad Wolf? Few days at best? Nah, it takes months to build that strong of a friendship some of these OCs had. Years. I love Jack, and I want May to love him too. But just not quickly. She just arrived in a Universe she thought didn't exist. Give her time to breath a little. Though, as her maker, I'm doing a poor job of it with these life and death situations aren't I?
> 
> Hope you like the new name I gave Jack :3 I sometimes forget Jack wasn't always Jack before he met the Doctor.
> 
> Kait


	4. Her name is IIyase: Wishful Dreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A war is brewing.

_The Toil; a time where the residents of the penitentiaries are able to work for atonement._

There are two jobs in the penitentiary: the Mine and the Factory. Both regulated and funded by the Chula Empire. The Mine is deep below the city, in the bowels of Chuponia V, carved out from a lava bed. It is the hugest deposit of Unobtainium on the planet. It stretches for miles and miles in all directions. IIyase says, there are five different mines not within the penitentiary that the Empire owns. She also says the vein will not run dry for at least another 12 million years. So that happening in this lifetime is just a wishful dream.

The Factory was built for the human prisoners who could not survive down in the Mine. Nitrogen made up 85% of the Mine's air, and without oxygen, employing humans' were redundant. So the Empire built them a factory. It gave the remaining 18% of the prisoners' income and the Chula 57% more profit at their expense. It was a win-win situation as they saw it.

IIyase stated even though they have two jobs in the penitentiary for thousands of prisoners, she was surprised that they didn't have set hours for individuals to work. Where she comes from, people work eight hours a day, forty hours a week. Or more. Raltz about chocked on his breakfast when she told him that. Eight hours a day? For an entire week? Man, he could barely stand working for three or four hours. He had better things to do - like hang out with his friends or read or walk or something.

The Toil opens from 9am to 9pm (8am to 9pm on Sundays) and any prisoner may work at any time, and they will be paid for that time. May it be for twelve hours or twelve minutes. When you clock in for work at the designated Guard post, you will be obligated to wear a larynx collar. After placing on the collar, do not be frightened if you lose your ability speak (you will – there isn't any ifs', ands', or buts' about it) it happens in order for you to be unable to communicate with your partner. Your partner will never be someone you know. You are paired up at random with someone from another district, sent on your way with job instructs (the Mine always comes along with a map), and babysat by a local hover bot.

Makes planning an escape difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. And time consuming. Which is why Raltz never concerned himself to much with it. Why worry about tomorrow when today still needed surviving? Especially when you are trying to find your next meal card. He will leave the worrying of the species future to the Elders and Lefaghy.

"You are looking absolutely stunning today, sweetheart. Green is your color."

Besides, Raltz had more important things to fret about.

"Zul." He warned glaring at his friend, who was currently leaning across dangerous territory. Throwing his flirty smile at someone he _really_ shouldn't be. The idiot just waved him off, never taking his emerald eyes of his target: an Undertaker's precious daughter.

The female giggled and batted her eyes, her cheeks turning dark green, an almost blackish color. She defiantly wasn't one of the prettiest of Zul's conquests, but she was one of the most dangerous. Raltz sighed, and rolled his eyes back towards the open road. It was defiantly daring, bold, and stupid – Zul wasn't one for backing down from a challenge.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Zul'ie." She tutted, waving her finger disapprovingly. _Oh gods._ They were on first name bases. Raltz wanted to groan and hang his head.

Zul, over the years it seems, perfected the pouting facial expression - while at the same time, never losing his sparkling grin. "Not even on a date with my sweetheart? Tonight? Dinner and candlelight?"

She giggled even more, and shoved him teasingly. Though, not a split second later, her expression darkened and her eyes turned icy.

"What about Yui'ox? What don't you ask her to dinner? I heard you guys hit it off real well last week. Maybe Tirupp? Fili?"

_And this is why girls are scary._ Raltz thought with a shiver. One second sugary and gooey, the next hard as steel and dangerous. _Still…_ He glanced at Zul who did not once flinch at her accusations. _Give the man some credit for staying strong_. If they weren't able to make this deal, they would be in deep trouble.

Zul took her hands in his, and stared deep into her eyes with look of deep regret etched on his face.

"It's true. I did…d-date the others. It's all true."

_W-w-what is he doing!_ Raltz nearly fell over in surprise – eyes blown open wide. _Has he lost his mind?_ By the promise of homicide shining the female's eyes, he was about to lose even more.

Still, Zul didn't flinch. "I even took a couple on multiple dates -."

_Oh gods, he is dead._

"- but the entire time. The entire time while I was with them: talking to them, kissing them, holding them –"

_We're dead. We're done for._

"I thought of you. I saw you. Only you. You are the one…I want. It is you."

_I'm sorry, IIyase. Why I thought this was a good idea I –_ wait a minute. Was she crying? Was she actually - ?

Zul brought her hands closer and kissed each one of them. "You are the one I need in this world."

"Zul'ie." She whispered, tears streaming down her face. "You are all I need too. I love you."

"I know you do."

And this why he hated girls. They were so gullible. Easily swayed by sweet words. Except Vox and IIyase. Vox technically wasn't a _girl_ , and IIyase…well, IIyase was perfect. _She wouldn't fall for this. She is to smart._ Raltz scowled and glared at the two.

"Zul."

This time his friend did twitch. It was small and barely visible, but Raltz could see his flirtatious façade falter. Annoyance peaked through the edges.

"I know, Raltz." Zul growled, narrowing his eyes toward him. "I don't want to overwhelm her."

The female looked between them, confused. "Overwhelm? What do you mean Zul'ie baby?"

The smug bastard had the audacity to look hurt. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to involve you sweetheart. Still don't but I-" He grimaced.

The female's eyes widened and she tugged on their joined hands. "I want to help you, anyway I can. Please, trust me."

"I do, sweetheart. I just -." He was stopped short by the intense look in her eyes: so willing, so trusting. Zul just sighed, defeated. "Okay."

_Thank the gods, finally._ Raltz sighed and reached in his back pocket. Grabbing the hidden object, he handed it over to Zul who snatched it out of his hand.

He presented it to his _sweetheart_. "Found this beauty in the Mine, deep in section 248."

"Is that?" Her eyes widen, mouth hanging slightly ajar. She reached for it attentively, but Zul kept it just out of reach.

"Salt." He confirms with a nod. Rock salt: a rarity in the penitentiary. High valued and worth a pretty coin. If bargain correctly, someone could go a month or three without working the Toil, but for some reason - nobody wants to bite. It had been a real pain.

"Wow." She whispered in awe, but then she paused and looked at Zul suspiciously. "Is this the reason why you came to visit me? The real reason? For my father's money?"

He touched his chest, over his heart, and gave a hurt expression. "Of course not! I would never use you like that. I'm doing this unfavorable thing for a friend." He pointed over to Raltz, who glared at him. "You see, he has this crush on this girl –"

_Oh he is dead._

"- she's human, and you know how humans are - easily unimpressed." The female nodded understandingly, and gave Raltz a pitying glance. Like she knew all about the plight of wooing stubborn humans. "He is trying to get enough money to take her on a fancy date."

At first, she didn't look very convinced, eyeing them both suspiciously. Then she smiled. "I understand."

"I knew you would." They smiled sickeningly sweet at each other. Zul finally handed over the rock salt to the female, and she backed away, reaching under her makeshift counter. She placed down a scale, and grabbed a metal clamp placing it over directly of the rock salt.

"10.547 inches." She mumbled to herself, and placed the clamp down. The female then sat the rock salt on the scale. "151.2 grams."

"Mighty fine specimen." Zul muttered, rounding the counter to peer over her shoulder.

"She is a lucky lady. Salt is near impossible to find, and harder to smuggle out." She stated, giving Raltz a small smirk. "Wish I had someone breaking the law over me." She gave Zul a pointed look, and he just held up his hands in defiance with a cheeky grin.

The female then sighed. "Now in the form of payment, the best I can do is 10 gold coins."

"What!" Exclaimed Raltz who stood a little straighter; a little more threatening. "That is ridiculous! It is worth at least 50."

The female had the decency to look guilty. "I'm sorry, the guards have cut back on trade. We don't receive much product like we used to. Without the trade we have no income."

"But 10?"

She glared and bared her teeth. "Listen, we haven't had a trade in a month in a half. It's been difficult, sorry."

Difficult. _Difficult, is an understatement._ For the past two months, wages during the Toil had been cut in half. With no money, people were running out of food; starving. So many of the prisoners were working more; all day, every day just to make ends meet. People were worrying, they were panicking. Including themselves. That's why they were willing to sell the salt, something they could have treasured for months.

For survival.

Raltz took a threatening step forward, and the Undertaker's men (once hidden in the darkness of the shop) moved too.

"Now what my friend here is trying to say-." Zul intervened; resting a hand on the female's shoulder, forcing her to turn and look up at him. "-is that he just really wants to impress his lady. He really is _hopelessly_ in love. The _idiot_." Zul gave him a pointed glare.

Raltz scowled and drawled out. " _Yeah._ "

The female frowned, and held up a hand halting the Undertaker's men that were coming closer. She grabbed the rock salt examining it carefully before glancing at the two with sharp silver eyes.

"Love, eh." She mumbled, before releasing a small secretive smile. "My father isn't going to like it."

"You are a saint, my heart." Zul grinned flirtatiously.

"Flatter will get you everywhere, Zul'ie baby." She replied slyly and winked before turning to face Raltz. "The final offer I can give is 20 gold."

Raltz scowled and opened his mouth, but Zul cut him off.

"That's perfect. _Perfect_." And he rounded the counter to shove Raltz backwards. "I adore you, sweetheart."

"I know you do." She winked again, but gave Raltz sideways glance. "Don't worry. Father says the cut backs should end soon then business will be back as usual."

"I hope so." He grumbled with a glare.

"Hmm." She hummed before smirking flirtsously. "Now about those dinner plans, Zul'ie baby, I have a couple suggestions."

Zul covered his heart with his hand and bowed his head. "Anything, my sweet."

Raltz groaned loudly, rolling his eyes before turning around, and walking out of the corner shop. When he took a step out in the open, Blyph who had been lurking near the entrance turned to look up at him.

He grinned. "Did we get it?"

"Yeah." Raltz moaned, touching his forehead. "We got it."

"So _Bad Cop, Love Cop_ was a success." Raltz was silent as he nodded in answer.

Honestly, it was Zul's idea. He was the one who suggested seducing the daughter of a notorious Undertaker. Raltz went along with it because there was no other choice. Everyone else had either turned them away or offered them something less than desirable. He hated playing the aggressor, it just wasn't him.

"More like _Love Cop, Awkward Cop_ , but for 20 gold coins-." Stated Zul as he revealed himself to the open, tossing a gold coin in the air then catching it with a cocky grin. "I say it was more than a success."

Blyph's eyes went wide as saucers. "20 coins, holy goddess!"

" _Gold_ coins, my man. Gold."

Blyph stared at the gold coin twirling through Zul's fingers with fascination. "Do you know what we could do with 20 gold coins?"

"Yes." Raltz replied blandly, catching the gold midair, and tugging out the coin bag tied on Zul's hip. "Food."

"Oh, come _on_ , Raltz!" Blyph whined, running after the lanky hybrid.

"Don't be such a hard ass, live a little." Zul called after him, shoving his lower hands in his pockets.

"That's exactly what I plan on doing; living." Raltz retorted as he avoided the crowd, sticking close to the walls of the buildings. "Did you even know that girl's name?"

"What?"

"Do you _know_ that girl's name?" Raltz's growled casting a glare backwards. "You know the one we just purposely conned."

Zul tsk'd and glared back just as heavily. "Of course. She is my sweetheart."

He released a bitter laugh. "Her name, Zul. Her actual gods given name. Not some little pet name you give your women."

"Listen here -." Zul growled, and grasped Raltz's arm pulling him into an alleyway. He shoved his friend up against the wall and glared into fiery orange orbs. "I don't know what has been eating you, but you need to back off, man. I've been getting real tired of you judging me -."

Raltz's gaze faltered, and a guilty look passed over his face. "I wasn't -."

"Yeah, you have." Zul said in finality. "And you know what? We've got the coin, and _I've_ got a date tonight with an attractive woman. A woman who has my full attention, and all of my love for one magical night. What do you have, Raltz? Who do you have, huh?"

"Look!" Blyph cried suddenly, interrupting the two, gaining their attention. "It's IIyase!"

_W-what?_ Raltz heart stuttered in his chest. What was she doing in the Under Valley? This was no place for a person like IIyase, but there she was; across the road from them. Looking confused, looking out of place, looking beautifully lost. Zul smiled broadly and turned to wink at him.

"Well now, isn't this a sight for lonely eyes. Let's go talk to her. Maybe that will pull you out of your funk, and you can stop being such an ass."

Raltz eyes widened tremendously. _What!_

"W-what!" Raltz stuttered, his face paling. "I-I don't think-! I was-!"

"Yes!" Shouted Blyph, and in his excitement, took off sprinting into the crowd without a second thought. "IIyase! IIyase!"

Zul laughed and tugged his friend along. "Come on, scaredy zebocat."

Raltz swallowed thickly, his heart beating faster. _IIyase._ It had been three months since he had last talked to her. Three _long_ agonizing months. Seeing glimpses of her around just wasn't enough: he missed her voice, her smile, and the facial expressions she made while teaching. When she came into the classroom everything else just seemed to disappear. Her smile was radiant as she looked at them, she walk around the classroom with an excited energy. Like she couldn't wait to teach them. The way her eyes turned serious on certain topics that troubled her or the way her nose crinkled when she didn't like something. But no matter her feelings about a certain subject, nothing was left unsaid. They learned everything: the good and the ugly.

She was amazing.

"Hello IIyase, you're looking lovely this fine afternoon." Zul commented as they caught up with Blyph and her. Raltz scowled. _Freaking player._

IIyase looked at them with wide eyes like she was surprised to see them. She clung to Blyph (who had thrown himself at her as soon as he was able too) stiffly, like she was afraid of letting him go. Her face revealing an expression he had never seen before: fear.

"I-IIyase? Is everything alright?" Raltz asked breaking free of Zul's grasp to stand worriedly before the human.

She looked at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Like she had been seconds away from crying before they came along. That worried him greatly. IIyase should be smiling, not crying. Raltz suddenly felt an unfamiliar rush of rage course through his veins. _No one makes IIyase cry, and gets away with it._

"What's wrong?" Raltz demanded, his voice clear and strong.

Blyph raised his head from her torso, a frown on his face. "IIyase?"

She turned away from them causing her long brunette hair cascade across her face. When she turned back, her face was clear of all previous fear and there was a bright smile on her face.

"I'm fine, nothing is wrong." She replied casually. "I'm just a bit…lost."

Raltz frowned, not convinced. "Really?"

"Yes, I've never been this far in the penitentiary before, it's kind of nerve-wracking."

The deeper the penitentiary you go into, the less guard activity there is. It's here the Undertakers make a living, and many more unsavory characters Raltz wishes not to think about. She was lucky she wasn't mugged down here, or worse. Raltz _defiantly_ didn't want to think about that. Still, her words were not so untruthful sounding. Not that IIyase would _ever_ lie.

"Well it's no surprise, this is defiantly no place for a young beautiful lady like yourself!" Zul shouted; though he looked just as miffed seeing IIyase down here as Raltz.

"That's sweet of you." She smiled. "But I can take of myself." And she revealed a low voltage taser hidden under her sleeves. It wouldn't knock a grown man out, but it would put him on his knees for at least a minute or two. Raltz smiled.

"That's our IIyase." Zul laughed slithering an arm across her back, and latching a hand on her shoulder. "Always resourceful."

"Where did you get that?" Blyph asked in wonder.

"From Lefaghy." She answered looking at the taser with soft eyes. "Gave it to me a year after I came to this place. As a present."

"Ooo, don't tell Vox that." Blyph warned with a cheeky grin.

IIyase looked down at him with confusion. "Why?"

"Ignore him." Zul replied, grabbing Blyph by his head and began pulling him off. "How about we get you out of here, huh?"

"Thanks," She chuckled. "I would appreciate that greatly."

"So why did you come all the way out to this gloomy place, IIyase?" Zul asked casually as he began leading her by the torso. Raltz frowned as he felt a bubble of jealous rise in his chest.

"I had to speak to the Elders about somethings." She answered looking down. "And too someone else."

Zul's brow rose. "A lover?"

"You have a boyfriend?" Blyph exclaimed, his expression horrified. "No!" Even Raltz heart stopped beating for a moment before he felt it begin to race in panic. _No. No. No. No! That can't happen!_ He hasn't even confessed his feelings yet. As confusing as they maybe.

IIyase suddenly threw her head back and began laughing. The sound was so light and jovial that Raltz couldn't help but be soothed by it.

"No, I don't have a boyfriend."

_Good._

"What about a lover?" Zul asked smoothly with raised brows.

Raltz glowered. _I'm going to kill him!_

"That either." IIyase grinned with a blush.

_Even better._ Raltz relaxed, and began walking silently behind the trio. He watched them together. Blyph struggling to get to IIyase's side with Zul fending him off with one hand. His arm pulling IIyase close as he guided her in the busy crowd, maneuvering her away when people got to close. Raltz should have felt jealous, which he was, but at the same time; it was all too surreal. IIyase was here, with his friends, talking with his friends. Out in the open, not in the classroom. His family, and her, it felt natural.

IIyase looked over her shoulder and gave Raltz a small smile. Which he returned, hesitantly.

"So IIyase, when are we going to have class again?" Blyph asked, as he excitedly swung their clasped hands.

"Why? Not enjoying your break?" She questioned eyes sparkling with amusement.

Blyph shrugged a slight frown on his face. "It's okay. At first it was fun, but it's been boring lately. Everyone has been working, so no one has had time to play with me."

"You're still too young for the Toil, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Blyph nodded with a pout before turning those baby blues on IIyase. "So when are we going to have class again? I'm tired of this _summer vacation_."

IIyase laughed again. "You have to be the first kid to have _ever_ said that in all of time and space."

Blyph pouted. "I'm not a kid."

"Sorry," IIyase chuckled and caressed his white cheek affectionately. "I meant young man."

"So this three month break wasn't for a man?" Zul commented casually, green eyes sparkling mischievously.

"No, of course not." She denied.

"Good, I would hate to have to fight this man for your affection." Zul said smoothly as he brought her hand to his lips. Raltz face turned blue in rage, and he clenched his fists on reflex. Zul was going a little far with his flirting.

IIyase rolled her eyes and chuckled while removing her hand. "Stop it, Zul'ie. This break was for all of you, and for me. Teaching isn't a paying job you know, and even I have to eat."

"Of course, I understand." Zul nodded respectfully.

"Besides," IIyase began, bumping her elbow against his shoulder. "How can you miss my classes when you were barely there, hmm?"

"I'll have you know, that when I was present, I was intellectually invigorated and visually stimulated by your unparalleled teaching." Zul replied slyly causing IIyase to scoff.

"You are such a Casanova."

"Casanova?" Blyph questioned innocently cocking his head. "What's that?"

With the three of them staring at her with varying degrees of confusion, IIyase just sighs in defeat.

"A woman out of time." She mumbles to herself, before shaking her head. "So where is the rest of your group? Kaurd and Knovokx?"

"The Toil." Zul answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Mischief doesn't pay the bills, you know."

IIyase cracked a smile before her face turned serious, and she stopped walking, grabbing a hold of Blyph and Zul's sleeves.

"Hey, I want you guys to promise me something, kay?" She asked looking at three of them with concern. "Be careful. I don't think this little recession is going to stop anytime soon. People are scared, and as history tells us; when people are scared, they have a tendency to get violent."

_When people are scared, they get violent?_ Raltz wanted to laugh sarcastically. What have they done to cause the Chula to be so scared of them? What have they done to inspire such terror that they would destroy everything they were? They were their prisoners for gods sakes!

"IIyase, I am moved by your compassion, and honored to be held so highly in your thoughts." Zul flirted immediately, and took her hands in his. _That's it._ Raltz couldn't stand it anymore. Zul was just too much.

Raltz quickly slapped his hands away, and stepped in front of him. Gaining IIyase's full attention.

"Don't worry, IIyase." Raltz began pushing his nervousness away. "We can take care of ourselves just fine."

"Yeah!" shouted Blyph, jumping in front of Raltz. "You worry too much."

IIyase stared at them gauging their expressions, like she looking for some conformation. And when she found it, she smiled broadly.

"Yeah, I guess so." She replied before lowering her eyes. "Thanks for walking me, I think I can go the rest of the way on my own."

"You sure?" Raltz asked concerned.

"Yeah." And IIyase nodded goodbye. The three of them stood there and watched her walk away up the stairwell to the upper penitentiary. When she reached the top, she stopped, and turned back around.

"Joekraltz?"

Raltz eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly took a step forward. "Y-yes?"

"Do you think you could come over to my apartment later tonight? I would like to ask you something."

Everything inside Raltz stiffened, and behind him, he heard Zul gasp.

"W-w-what?" his voice squeaked in response.

IIyase innocently smiles.

…

..

* * *

..

…

IIyase's apartment was above the classroom which was located in the upper penitentiary. That is where the Chula fanatic's lived. Fanatic prisoners who strived to be part of the Empire again, but that's a whole other story Raltz had no interest in retelling.

It was a richer community: less trash, less unsavory characters, and less homeless. So Raltz didn't worry too much about her living here. It was practically the safest place for her to be.

Raltz stuck to the side of the road ignoring the glances he was receiving from the fanatics. He kept his head low, eyes forward, and hands in his jacket pockets. There was no need to give them the satisfaction in knowing they made him uncomfortable. So Raltz strolled on in a casual pace till he reached the classroom.

IIyase's apartment was some sort of store once - three stories with a tall entrance. The windows probably had glass in them once, but they were now replaced with thick steel panels covered in graffiti. The original doors were either destroyed long ago or now used as a roof for someone else. Instead in their place were two wooden boards with different lengths and thickness.

Raltz hesitated, fists hanging in the air mid-knock, and stared up the building. What _did_ IIyase want with him? Already he could hear his friends' voices in the back of his head commenting on his hesitation.

" _Oh my goddess, just grow some balls_." Vox would growl probably rolling her red eyes.

Kuard would be sighing, standing closest to him, but shaking his head. " _Come on man. Just knock, she's waiting_."

" _You must not keep a woman waiting, Raltz._ " Zul would comment slinging his left arms around Vox's shoulder. She would glower. " _And remember, a human female's weak spot is -._ "

Blyph would interrupt just as Vox would begin pounding on Zul. " _I knew I should have went with you. I wanted to see IIyase too. So don't be a baby! And tell her I said hi. Don't forget_."

His friends - even when alone they were still with him. Raltz smiled and he felt courage strength his muscles. Standing a little straighter, he raised his hands to begin knocking – only to have to door open for him. Raltz instantly panicked. _Oh gods I'm not ready!_

"Well." the person growled. "What do you want?"

"Oh." Raltz instantly relaxed when he realized it was not IIyase answering the door, but an elderly man. "Evening Elder Eehx."

Eehx's nose scrunched, his one eye wrinkling around the edges in annoyance. "Bah, none of that formal shit. Eehx is fine."

"IIyase wouldn't-" Raltz began but he was cut off.

"That woman needs to get her head out of those books about years past, and keep up with the times. This is the 55th century not the 21st." He shook his head, frowning but his blue eye held a twinkling of fondness. "Keh, damned woman."

Eehx then settled his gaze on Raltz, and eyed him sharply. "So what are you doing here?"

"I ah-." Raltz gulped, and shuffled nervously. "I-IIyase asked me to s-stop by."

"Ah, I remember her saying she would be receiving a visitor, but I didn't think it would be you." He muttered off, and stepped out of the doorway. His eye traveling downward then up again - examining Raltz carefully.

"Awfully young." He grumbled. "Too young."

Raltz swallowed thickly as his eyes went wide.

Eehx hummed. "Needs some work, but there is potential. I could see the appeal."

"A-appeal?" Raltz inquired, voice cracking.

Eehx grinned from ear to ear. "Are you not IIyase's suitor?"

Raltz temperature sky rocketed. His vision became hazy, and his mind turned into a puddle of goo. He couldn't even feel his limbs anymore.

"S-s-s-s-su-!" He lost his ability of speech. IIyase and him. _Him and IIyase._ IIyase and him in a - ! _Him and IIyase!_

Eehx began to cackle, nearly keeling over, as he held his stomach. Someone behind him began to yell angrily.

"Don't tease the boy, you conniving old man!" A blue hand appeared in the doorway and retched the old man backwards.

Eehx continued laughing. "-his face! Oh, you should have seen his face Jedia! Priceless! Priceless."

"I can see his face fine." The female hybrid commented, scowling, "And he looks pretty horrified." She gave the pink-skinned male a final shove inside, and turned soft violet colored eyes towards Raltz. "Come in dear, she is waiting upstairs."

"Thanks, Lady Jedia." Raltz mumbled lowering his eyes while his face burned hot.

Jedia's cheeks turned indigo, and she smiled broadly. "How sweet. Come in, boy, come on." She ushered him with the wave her hand, and he stumbled in feeling more embarrassed than ever.

The room itself didn't change with the exception of all the chairs that usually sat in the middle of the room were now pushed against the walls. The walls were lined with shelves where books piled on top of each other reached as high as the ceiling. IIyase called it her _Library_. Still, it looked like a complete make-over to Raltz. He was used the classroom beginning mostly empty with the occasional student who was willing to show up in the morning. Now, the open room was pack when individuals who stared up at him as he entered.

"Why are there so many people here?" Raltz whispered to Eehx who had thankfully stopped laughing, in order to stand by his wife's side. He knew IIyase allowed people who were homeless to live with her, but he didn't know she practically housed a small town.

"Overpopulation, depopulation." Eehx answered shrugging nonchalantly. "You pick."

Jedia scowled down at her husband, and elbowed his shoulder. "Don't start."

"What?" He asked innocently, eye wide.

"Don't start with your conspiracy theories."

"Theories? They are not theories woman! It's the damned truth."

She rolled her eyes and gave Raltz a pointed looked. "Here he goes again."

Eehx cheeks turned red. "People are losing their homes. Reconstruction they say! Bah! Then those people disappearing straight from the streets. Innocent men, women, _and_ children! Never to be seen again - ."

"Then the retirement. Don't get him _started_ on the retirement." Jedia stated sarcastically, expression blank.

"Then the retirement." Eehx echoed, staring intensely at Raltz; pointedly ignoring his wife. "Don't get me _started_ on the retirement! What is the retirement? Where do people go when they retire? For the last ten thousand years, the age of retirement has actually been getting younger and younger. Now listen here, the Empire says it's a place where the older generation can live out the rest of their lives in peace after paying their debt, but where is it? No communication. No visitation. Family members never see their loved ones again."

"So…" Raltz mumbled, intrigued. "Where do they go?"

Eehx leaned close, and looked around the room carefully. As if afraid someone might hear him, as if afraid to tell his secret.

"Akmehn's heart."

Raltz paled.

"Stop scaring the boy!" Jedia cried smacking her husband upside the head. "Don't worry dear, that is something you don't need to think about for a long _long_ time. Don't worry."

"Jedia!" Eehx glowered. "It _is_ something to worry about it. Only a hundred more years and you –"

"Hush," She placed a finger over his lips, smiling, but it just didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's enough talking." She turned her head to Raltz. "I believe you have someone waiting for you Raltz."

Raltz blinked, stunned by the sudden change in atmosphere. "Y-y-yeah..."

"Then you shouldn't keep her waiting." Jedia grinned broadly. "And be careful."

Raltz nodded, and looked between the two – just for the moment - completely confused on exactly what just happened. Then, he walked away, heading for the stairs.

"Jedia -."

"Hush, you old fool."

…

..

* * *

..

…

IIyase's apartment was complete chaos.

It wasn't exactly dirty, no, but it defiantly wasn't organized. Books not on shelves were piled on top each other like blocks reaching as high as the ceiling. Scrolls and loose parchment were scattered about on the floor - a floor he couldn't even see. Raltz maneuvered carefully through the towers following the pathways that were open to him. He looked around in amazement and slight bewilderment. Now he knew what Jedia meant when she said "be careful". One wrong move, and he could be buried alive in literature.

He knew IIyase was an avid reader but… _wow_.

When he reached the middle of the room, he entered an open space that revealed three desk facing opposite directions. The desks were extremely old, worn, warped, and missing drawers. Missing legs were replaced by even more books, and empty spaces where piled with papers and writing utensils. Raltz studied the books, and realized that he couldn't even read some of them. They were written in a different language.

He didn't know IIyase could read other languages.

Raltz walked to one of the desks, and eyed the papers that were scattered around it. Most had little markings on them. Doodles that IIyase had made. Mostly smiley faces, some stick figures, boxes with the word 'police' on the top, or an occasional feline looking creature. There was also writings: little notes, lists, or quotes.

But there was one thing that kept repeating over and over again:

may

May

_May Owens_

**May Owens.**

_mAY OwEnS_

_oWEns MAY_

maY

mAy

_May who?_ Raltz thought to himself. _Who is May?_ He vaguely remembered hearing a name like that before ( _was it even a name?_ ) but he just couldn't remember who said it or where. He sat the papers back down, and curiously grabbed a nearby textbook. Raltz examined it closely. Left open was a page that was heavily marked through. It was barely legible under IIyase's multiple notes and scratch outs, but he was able to read it with some effort.

..

_"I awoke underneath fallen pieces of stone. I was lucky that none landed on my person but instead entomb me in a tight space. There was an opening between two boulders, big enough I could slip an arm out, but I dared not too. For in my line of sight was the High Priest in the grasp of -. She was exactly as the stories had said. Her beauty rivaling that of II'yll, her sister goddess of love. An Illusion assuredly, that hide her rotten insides and beating black heart. - held the High Priest by the throat, and raised him off the ground with tremendous strength. The High Priest didn't struggle but instead dared to look the - in the eyes, as if saying, he would not bow before her. He was surely stronger than I – than any man._

_"They will destroy you." The High Priest voice was barely above a whisper, but I could hear it as if he was screaming. "They will destroy you and your –"_

_He crumbled into ash in her hand._

_She watched emotionlessly as his remains fell to the marble floor falling like black snowflakes. - raised her head settling her gaze upon me. Her stare was piecing – soul shaking. Such striking eyes spun from what had to be the richest, purest gold. She walked towards me, stepping on the High Priest's ashes as if he was nothing but dirt beneath her feet._

_I thought all was lost. I thought I was dead, but The Great Mother still held pity for me. Just as she reached out her hand to pluck me from the rubble a voice called out to her._

_"-." A man stepped forward with eyes just as gold, a face just as beautiful. "It's time."_

_She paused, her fingers curling into her hand, her stare consuming my very soul. "Is it?"_

_"They're coming."_

_Her eyes turned sad, two twin pools reflecting despair. "Alright, let's begin then." She pulled back her arm and struck her fist against the rock of my prison. Rubble around me shuttered and moaned, and the small opening disappeared; encasing me in darkness. For days, I had laid in the company of my own thoughts. Underneath the ruins of the temple, my home, all while the world around me was torn apart._

_~Hreimatop, Priest of Fauthesseo_

_.._

"They say it was all in his head." Raltz nearly jumped out of his own skin when IIyase's voice spoke from out of now where. He turned around so fast that his head spun. He had an arsenal of apologies at the ready, but he couldn't utter a single word of it. IIyase stood there; between two book towers near the far right desk farthest from him. A meal bar in her hand and a pensive look on her face. She was staring at him, but not actually seeing him.

"First, the rocks – who knows how much rubble had fallen on top of him. Thousands of pounds of instability surrounding him. One wrong move and everything could crumble down on top of him. Then you need to consider how long he could have been unconscious. Was there brain damage? Was he receiving the proper amount of oxygen enclosed in such a small space? Dust and debris – could he have been poisoned by the air he was breathing? There is too many questions and all we have is his word." IIyase looked down and stared at the floor with a melancholy expression. "The word of a scared little boy in the middle of a terrible war."

"Little boy?" Raltz questioned looking at her in confusion. "I thought the First Priest was a grown man." But she just shook her head and smiled.

"Sorry about the mess." She exclaimed suddenly, sweeping a foot across the floor, pushing the loose paper aside. "I've been meaning to clean up."

"It's oka-."

"I've actually wanted to give the other residences this space. I don't need much and I have my classroom, but Elder Eehx is stubborn -."

"Oh, real-."

"And the books -." She hurried forward, biting into her meal bar. "They are a bit much. I've been meaning to move them -." She walked to one tower and gently brushed her fingers over the spines. "They are – umm. There is a method to this madness, I promise." She turned her head and gave him a shy smile. "It looks like there is a lot, but most of the books here are identical. I've been – umm – collecting them. To give to the other districts. I - ah – wanted more diversity, but you know how it is here. I can't get much." Raltz continued to stare at her with wide amazed eyes, without saying a word, causing her to shift nervously. She quickly shoved the rest of the meal bar in her mouth, and turned away. "Umm, over here is Chula history dating back to the 32nd century. Mostly about the Gruom Movement, and the invention of the P. E. A. R. solar pole. Not that exciting if you ask me – I'm allergic to lobster. This row here -!" She darted to the left, and touched two towers. "Is the arts. Fascinating stuff. Did you know the Chula are the only species that can play the dreadjadaer? Well properly of course. Four hands, not that special, but that extra lung - wow. Speaking of biology -!"

Before IIyase could run off to the other side of the room, Raltz raised his right hands and stopped her.

"IIyase," He shouted, and she froze, hands tugging nervously on her leggings. "Are you okay, you seem -." _Weird._ He was going to say weird. He had seen IIyase talk excitedly before, usually so fast he and the other students could barely keep up. Whenever IIyase became passionate about something, she could talk till your ears fell off, and then would continue without pause. This was different though. She was missing that spark she usually had when she talked exuberantly.

"Sorry." She whispered hanging her head. "Bit nervous. I talk a lot when I am nervous." She walked over to one of the desks, pulling out one of the remaining drawers, and grabbed another meal bar within. "And I stress eat too, I guess." She ripped open the package and took a bite. "I've been getting hungry a lot more often."

"Stress? Nervous?" Raltz asked worriedly, walking closer. "What is this all about? Why did you ask me to come over?"

She smiled softly, and tilted her head towards him. "You go straight to the point don't you?" She turned around, and leaned against the rickety desk while crossing her arms. "Your group is an oddity you know that?" Raltz cocked his head in confusion as IIyase continued. "The Five Fiends, silly name." She laughed. "Whoever came up with it?" It was Blyph. "The five of you been through a lot haven't you? I mean, Kaurd – well, Kaurd is mostly human isn't he?" He was. With his two five-fingered hands, small eyes, and pink skin. He couldn't even work in the Mine he was so human. The only thing Chula about him was the orange in his eyes. "Then Hiblyph, he is the most Chula looking Hybrid I've seen in a while." Was he? Raltz honestly wouldn't know. IIyase sighed. "I want you to know that I initially didn't want to involve you, because you guys...you all mean a lot to me." Raltz entire body exploded in euphoria, and he suddenly felt like grinning like a fool - but IIyase's serious expression kept him sober. "What I am trying to say is that things are changing, and not in the way I had envisioned them. You and you friends are going to be impacted, the whole penitentiary will be. You won't have much choice."

"I don't understand IIyase." Raltz replied confused, eyes full of worry. "Why did you ask me to come here?"

IIyase's stare was unnerving. "Eehx theories aren't as farfetched as they sound."

"IIyase."

"I need you to do something for me." She exclaimed suddenly, pushing herself away from the desk to stand in front him. "A favor. I will owe you one."

"Anything." He replied resolute, standing straighter. "Anything for you IIyase."

She cracked a smile. It was small, but it made him feel better because it was real.

"Shouldn't have said that." Her smile fell again, and she hung her head. "I need you to take me to the Playground."

Raltz's eyes fluttered in surprise, and his mouth slightly dropped. "T-the P-P-Playground?"

"Lefaghy won't take me." She frowned, and glared. "Neither will Eehx or Jedia or Kri or anyone else I have asked."

"B-b-but the Playground is…is."

"Oh, don't you start too." She grumbled, and twirled around, her hands on her hips facing away from him. "'Don't worry, IIyase.' 'Stick to your books, IIyase.' 'Just keep teaching, IIyase.' 'This isn't something we can just talk about, IIyase.' Well, this is my home too, and I care about it!"

"IIyase-." He tried to say, but she turned around so fast it had him stuttering.

"No, don't say it." She glowered. "I know _you know_ where it is. I've overheard you and Kaurd multiple times talking about it. I want to go, okay? I need to."

Raltz swallowed thickly as his eyes went wide at the intense but stubborn look on her face. It was an expression he had never seen on her.

"W-w-w-why?" He mumbled as he leaned away, her presence slightly overpowering.

The green in her eyes seemed to overpower her iris creating a different eye color compared to her normal hazel. It was beautiful and intimidating.

"To stop a war."

..

..

* * *

..

…

"You weak bastard." Vox whispered from his side as she glared into the gathering crowd. "Should have said no."

"What?"

"She is right." Kaurd replied from his other side. "You should have said no."

"What? Why?" He asked flabbergasted, and here he thought his friends would be excited for him. That IIyase asked him, personally, to help do something important. The three of them looked behind simultaneously to see IIyase just a few feet away staring around in awe. She was cloaked in a ratty old blanket she had found to cover her face. Not that it helped much. Humans were genetically taller than the Hybrids, but IIyase was one of the five tallest human beings in the district. It wouldn't take a lot of thought process for someone to figure out who it was.

"There was a vote about a year ago." Kaurd replied as he clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Everyone decided it was best to never bring IIyase here."

"What!" Raltz nearly shouted, but Vox shushed him. "Why wasn't I there? Why wasn't I told?"

Kaurd shrugged. "I think it was the day of that field trip no one wanted to go on but you and Blyph-."

"And we didn't think she would ever ask you." Vox interrupted, rolling her eyes. "I guess she was desperate."

Raltz glowered, opening his mouth, but before he could say anything, IIyase snuck up behind them.

"Are we close?" She whispered curiously, biting her bottom lip.

Raltz's face turned blue. "Y-y-yea."

The _Playground_ is a place near the center of the penitentiary, a place where the walls dividing the city meet. There is a crack about as long as an index finger that splits straight through the rock to the other side. It is there the hybrids gather in meetings, and communicate in hushed whispers about plans of overthrowing their guards. Of taking Chuponia V. It defiantly wasn't a place for IIyase who spoke against using violence.

She grinned. "Thanks for coming with me. You didn't have too."

_Yeah right_. Like he was going to allow IIyase to come here alone. "No problem."

"You guys too." She said looking at Kaurd and Vox. "Its been awhile."

"It has." Kaurd smiled and nodded his head. "I can't wait for classes to start again."

"Will you be coming too, Knovokx?" IIyase asked glancing at the violet female. "It is never too late to learn."

"Yeeaa~" Vox drawled out, keeping her eyes forward, not looking at the hopeful human. "Probably not."

"Come on." She persisted, eyes glittering. "Just a couple classes. You will have fun, I promise."

Vox rolled her eyes upward, and she muttered profanity under her breath. "Probably won't."

IIyase pouted causing Raltz to flush. _She was so cute being stubborn._

"I don't know." Interrupted a voice from behind, causing the four to turn around. "I think educated women are quite sexy."

Two figures emerged from the crowd: one obviously human and the other a very familiar face. Beside him, Raltz felt Vox stiffen and her breathing quicken.

"They know what they want, and they aren't afraid to take it." The human grinned flirtsously. "And they _love_ to experiment."

IIyase licked her lips nervously as her eyes began darting everywhere. "J-J-Jack…I-I didn't-."

"Jacob." He said suddenly, blue eyes twinkling. "But I _love_ how breathless you sound. Makes me want to change my name. It's very erotic." Raltz's lips twitched in irritation, and his hands curled into fists.

"Oh my-." IIyase shouted covering her beet red face with her hands. "S-shut up! Jesus!"

"That's two men you've mistaken me for." Jacob said with a pout. It made Raltz want to punch him in the face. "It makes me jealous. I thought you were _my_ stalker, beautiful."

IIyase opened and closed her mouth seemingly lost for words in her embarrassment. "I-I-I-I don't…I am _not_ a stalker!"

"Don't think I haven't seen you following me, ducking in alleyways, hiding behind crates." He accused crossing his arms. If it was possible, it seemed IIyase turned even redder. Raltz glared at the human male. _IIyase would never stoop to such a thing!_

"I-I-I-I umm."

"IIyase." Interrupted another person, stepping in front of Jacob. The hybrid was short stature, even slightly shorter than their Chula guards. He was green skinned with small human-like violet eyes, and a compassionate expression. Despite his deformity he held himself tall, and had the look of authority about him. "What are you doing here?" He gave Raltz and his friends a pointed look. The three of them shrunk back.

"Lefaghy." IIyase said with a slight frown.

"We told you you weren't needed." He continued bluntly crossing his arms.

IIyase glared. "I want to be here. You are making a mistake."

"The mistake." He began glaring back. "Is that they brought you here. This isn't your concern."

"I live here." She growled taking a threatening step forward. "I have every right as anyone else. So don't you dare…don't you dare…"

The two stood in front of each other in a battle of wills. Neither backed down, but continued glaring darkly.

"I think that's enough for the moment." Jacob interrupted slinging an arm around IIyase and placing a hand on Lefaghy's shoulder. "We best be going or we are going to be late."

"I _am_ going." IIyase stated in finality. "No matter what you or the Elders say."

Lefaghy gritted his teeth, and narrowed his eyes, before walking away. "Fine. Do what you want."

Raltz didn't know how tense he was until he felt every muscle in his body relax. Even behind him he could hear Kaurd breathe a sigh of relief.

"Man that was intense." Kaurd whispered in his ear. "I've never seen Lefaghy so wound up. Things must be serious."

"I know." He whispered back. "And IIyase is being strange too."

"I wonder what is up."

Beside them, Vox took a step towards Lefaghy. "G-good evening, L-Lefaghy." Both Kaurd and Raltz immediately had to cover their mouths in order to stop from snickering. They had never heard Vox sound so… _girly_. She was acting like one of Zul's girls whose eyes were always so large and sparkling. Twisting their hair while bashfully gazing at the ground, rocking in place nervously. They _laughed_ at those kinds of girls.

Lefaghy glanced up at her, and his face relaxed into an easy grin. "Evening Vox."

Her face turned dark purple and she rubbed her hands together. "H-h-how ar-are you?"

"I'm good." He nodded in thanks. "Fine. Thanks for asking."

"Y-yeah." And her voice trailed off as he walked away. "Y-you're welcome."

Kaurd and Raltz laughed at the same time and both received her burning glare.

"Gods." Kaurd cried. "That was embarrassing. "Could you be any more obvious?"

"That was painful to watch." Raltz teased and swung an arm over her shoulder. "It was almost physically so."

"Shut up." She growled and shrugged off his arm. "Like you are any better."

"I will have you know." Raltz stated confidently, but his face was burning blue. "That IIyase and I's relationship have grown in the past couple days. Our affection is mutual and we have a deep respect for each other. We are just taking it one step at a time."

"Really now?" Kaurd inquired with a grin. "Then does he know that?" And he pointed in front of them at the pair of humans talking quietly amongst themselves. Jacob had his arm across IIyase's waist, a hand on her hip, with their heads tilted towards each other. Raltz turned dark blue in rage. He immediately ran to catch up to them.

"How old are you?" He heard IIyase ask.

Jacob chuckled. "Don't you know it's rude to ask a man his age?"

"Fine, don't tell me." IIyase sighed, rolling her eyes. "Do you at least know The Doctor? Martha? Rose?"

"Who?" He asked genuinely confused. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

IIyase turned her head away and bit her bottom lip. "How is this possible?"

"Hey." Jacob exclaimed frowning, and gasped her wrist, catching her attention. "Answer my question: Why are you asking me all this?"

"Let go of her man!" Shouted Raltz as he stepped in front of IIyase. He pushed Jacob's hand off of her just as Vox and Kaurd caught up. The two of them stood on either side of her, glaring up at the human while Raltz held IIyase back.

"Don't touch her like that." Kaurd growled. "No one touches IIyase like that."

Jacob stepped back, holding his hands up defensively, his eyes focused forward. Others were beginning to look at them with a hint of interest.

"Okay. Okay, sorry." He apologized before narrowing his eyes. "I just don't take kindly to people who ask such personal questions. I've learned better."

"S'kay guys." IIyase mumbled looking guilty. "It's my fault for being hasty. Should have known better than to think this would be simple."

"What is going on, IIyase?" Vox growled with narrowed eyes.

"Do you know this human?" Raltz asked with a tinge of worry. "How?"

IIyase looked around at all faces that were expecting an answer from her, and suddenly, her face turned bright red.

Her expression turned sheepish. "You had a brother."

Jacob's brows rose and his lips tightened into a straight line. "How do you-?"

"I d-don't remember his name." She added quickly, panicking. "I-I can't remember everything. There was a war? Invasion, I think. Y-you lost him and your father. I-I'm not sure about your mother." He was silent, but IIyase was no longer looking at their faces, instead continued talking faster. "But-but there were more battles and you lost more people till finally…finally." She fidgeted and nervously rubbed her hands together. "Y-you joined the Time Agents, and they…they…" Her eyes went wide and her head snapped forward. "You lose two years of memories! They will take it from you. You have too…too…" She trailed off at the look Jacob was giving her. "They're…they're already gone…"

Jacob eyed her for a moment, contemplating, when he suddenly sighed and swept a hand through his dusty brown hair. "Six months ago, I woke up in the hospital on Kardesh. No idea how I got there. I thought I had been there for years in a coma, turns out it was only a couple days: cerebral shock. From getting your memories extracted the messy way." His lips twitched. "I was throwing myself a pity party. Hitting every bash in every century from the Nexis Galaxy to the Grievoune."

"How did you end up here?" asked Kaurd curiously. "In the penitentiary?"

Jacob smiled. "The Chula are not only recognized for their tactics in warfare - they throw a hell of a party. The Day of the End is one of the famous holidays in all of history, and the Chula pay no expense. I was on a three week bender when I met a beautiful woman-."

"So it's true?" IIyase asked suddenly. "You slept with the King's Queen?"

"Well, and the High Priest." He shrugged, his eyes twinkling. "Twins with kinks. Who knew?"

"Oh god." IIyase whispered, covering her face. "I'm sorry I said anything."

Vox leaned over to Kaurd and Raltz, cupping her mouth. "And I thought Zul was bad. This guy is absolutely the worse."

Raltz frowned.

"So, beautiful." Jacob flirted, but the lightness in his voice never reached his eyes. "How come you know so many things about me, but I have not had the same pleasure?"

"Oh, well." IIyase began just as the crowd went up in cheers. "I know you from the future."

_What?_

The four of them stared at her with varying degrees of confusion.

"And I told this all to you?" He asked with raised brows. IIyase opened and closed her mouth, imitating a crowfish out of the sand dune, as they would say. She stared at Jacob with a panicked expression.

"I ah-."

Cheers erupted from all around them. Raltz head snapped forward in time to see Lefaghy entering the stage waving a hand for silence. The five of them were pushed forward by the crowd in order to get closer. IIyase's voice went up in alarm as they were separated.

"Easy, brothers!" He shouted. "My sisters!"

The crowd quieted. Raltz lifted his head and tried to survey the crowd for his friends and IIyase. Vox and Kaurd were pushed forward, closer to the make-shift stage. Kaurd waved a hand, and Raltz repeated the gesture. To the right of him, a couple feet away, was IIyase and the human Jacob. Raltz waved exaggeratedly, and IIyase waved back with a small smile.

"The time is coming!" Lefaghy exclaimed suddenly, touching his jaw gently in thought, before crossing his arms behind his back. "The time is coming for _our_ redemption. Soon our captors will hear us!" The crowd gave a warriors cry. "They will fear us! They will respect us! The time is coming!" The mass screamed in excitement. Their feet shook the ground. Their fists pumped the air. Their presence filled the empty spaces. Raltz couldn't help but be caught up in the commotion.

"We have heard from our brothers and sisters from the other districts!" Lefaghy shouted, and turned around reaching out a hand. An elder stood up from a stool, and handed him a worn parchment. "The same thing that is happening here is happening everywhere." He turned the parchment around, and began reading what was written. "'They have increased wages on food'." He carelessly dropped a paper on the ground. "'They have taken our homes'." Then another. "'Our families have disappeared off the streets'." He watched the crowd as another fell from his grasp. "'We. Are. Dying'." The masses were silent, but you could feel the tension in the air.

"Do not kid yourselves into thinking this is only temporary." Lefaghy warned narrowing his violet eyes. "They will not stop till most of us, if not all of us, are dead." Someone around Raltz sucked in a shaky breath. "I am not here to give theories or argue doubts. You have all seen it. We are all living it. Working for hours, nonstop, every day and still…still you make barely enough to feed your children. _Our children_." Lefaghy stood a little straighter, his eyes becoming a little more colder. "We are being eradicated – slowly."

Lefaghy turned, and began pacing. "This is not the first time this has happened." He stopped and pointed into the crowd. "Our IIyase, our own teacher has found old documents stating that this has happened before – 10 thousand years ago." Raltz and the crowd turned towards the human female, who was staring at the stage, jaw slacked. Her face was pale, and she was shaking her head, mumbling to herself. "And 10 thousands years before that. And before that. Every time we grow, every time we wish to expand ourselves – we become too big for our captors to handle. We become a liability."

"Our time is coming." Lefaghy stated, staring unwavering into the crowd. "Whether we want it to or not. It's only a matter of will we go down quietly…" He paused, surveying the crowd closely. "Or fighting."

"We fight!" Someone in the crowd shouted.

"Yeah!"

"I'm not going to lay down and give in!" A woman exclaimed. "I have my children's future to think about!"

"What about my future?"

"This shitty prison-!" A man to Raltz's left growled.

"We never did anything to anyone!"

"We were just born!"

"Fight! Fight!"

The masses of people went up in a roar. Shouting, cursing the Chula – the prison. Raltz screamed right along with them. _How dare they do this to us! How dare they think themselves righteous! They don't deserve anything._ Swept away by the atmosphere, Raltz didn't notice IIyase's fear stricken face.

"Then we fight!" Lefaghy shouted over the cheering. "And we fight together: as one, as a species, as a family." He turned and motioned the elders forward. "The rebellion has been planning for this moment, and we have waited a long time. Still, it has been worth the wait. We have made many connections to the outside. People who believe in our cause. In our need for freedom and equality."

The elders wheeled in a crate next to Lefaghy, and lifted out a gun. Something Raltz had only seen in the hands of the Chula guard. Lefaghy took it in his hands, and proudly displayed it to the crowd.

"They have supplied us with weapons, with maps of landscapes and cities, with intel of the Empire, and more importantly - their support. They would fight with us!" He exclaimed, raising the gun in the air. The crowd went wild.

"The time has come, and we will take it!"

People began cheering – screaming. They shouted with such fervor and intensity that it had Raltz's heart pounting, and his head exploding. He was grinning wider than he had ever before, dancing to steps that made no sense. It was exciting and breathtaking and-

IIyase was screaming.

It was so loud and piercing that it cut straight through the noise of the crowd. Immediately, Raltz's heart stopped beating - for just a moment. _IIyase!_

Chaos erupted from all around him as people began to push in all different directions. Hover bots flew overhead tossing electric bolts into the crowd: issuing warnings and commands.

"You are under arrest. Resist and you will be harmed. You are under arrest."

"Everyone get down!" The Chula guard emerged from the shadows of the Playground some with guns, others with tasers. The crowd ran in a panic - pushing and shoving at each other. Some in the direction of the guards, some onto the ground. None of that mattered to Raltz in that moment for IIyase had disappeared in the waves of people.

"IIyase! IIyase! Where are you?!" He shouted pushing through the crowd. "IIyase!"

"Raltz!" someone shouted, and hand clamped down on his shoulder. Vox's face appeared in his peripheral vision. "We have to go!"

He shook his head. "Not until I find IIyase!"

"Forget the human!" She screamed, expression panicked. "We have to go!"

"No I-!"

A guard appeared in front of them, aiming his taser in their direction. Their eyes went wide and Vox reflexively shoved Raltz to the ground. Behind them, they heard someone scream and fall. Raltz quickly kicked the Chula guard in the shins, and while he doubled over in pain, the two of them made a break for it – running for cover. Together they hid themselves behind a large piece of fallen rubble, taking advantage of the shadows in the poorly lit area.

They watched as the guard rounded up several people that had tried to escape: some were unconscious, others screaming in pain from bleeding wounds, but most were silent. Glaring defiantly at their captors. There were two of them that were most beloved by Raltz.

"Kaurd. IIyase!" He whispered loudly, and about stood when Vox pulled him back down.

"Stop!" she growled, and the two glared at each other. "It won't do them any good to get captured too."

IIyase stood there, hands at her sides, looking lost and forlorn while the Chula pointed their guns at her. Raltz hands clenched into fists. They were pointing their guns at IIyase. At IIyase, who detested violence - it was unforgivable. At her side was the human man, Jacob. Who held his hands above his heads and was staring at the guard with a blank expression on his face.

"Kaurd." IIyase exclaimed as the body of Raltz's best friend was thrown at her feet. She knelt by his side, and placed his head on her lap.

She looked up, with tears in her eyes, and began begging. "Please, he is just a child. You can't do this."

A chula guard, one Raltz immediately recognized, walked and stood in front of her. "You shouldn't have been here, IIyase. This is no place for someone like you."

"Kel'um." She said looking shocked, blinking rapidly. "H-how could you-?"

"I've got my orders." He replied, shifting uncomfortably from his position.

"Don't bother with him, IIyase." Jacob sneered. "He's just a drone. Brain washed into doing other people's dirty work. No matter how horrendous."

Guard-Captain Kel'um remained silent.

"Get your hands off him!"

IIyase head snapped towards the entrance, and gasped in horror as Eehx bleeding body was forcibly dragged outside. Jedia followed close behind, wrist in cuffs behind her back, and spiting fire.

"No. No!" IIyase shouted, panicked. "You can't do this…you can't...!"

"I'm afraid we have too." Kel'um replied cryptically. "Take them away."

"No!" IIyase screamed as she was dragged away from Kaurd, and placed in handcuffs. "This is wrong. Everything is wrong. I-I-I-I just wanted to…I just-!"

"Raltz!" Vox whispered harshly in his ear, pinching his side. "We have to go. Come on!"

He shook his head venomously, refusing to move.

"We have to go. Come on. Let go!" She urged and tugged on one of his hands.

"Come on -!"

IIyase was getting father away.

"This way!"

She was so scared.

"Raltz!"

He couldn't reach her anymore.

"Raltz!"

He couldn't save her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joekraltz is my favorite character to write. His perspective is so refreshing compared to skittish May. xD In my head, I call him Joekraltz because that's the name I originally gave him, but I realized its a "mouthful" to say (and tedious to write). So I needed a nickname or something shorter to call him. Hence, Raltz, but I love his original name. I love all my OCs original names. Which is why I had May be the only one (constantly) say them.
> 
> I'm guessing this episode isn't very popular, because I didn't get many reviews about it in the last chapter. :/ But that is alright, I enjoy writing it despite the headache (humongous headache) its causing. Thinking about a whole new world is very time consuming, but once you work out the dynamics (and the government) - you just don't want to stop. In all honesty, I probably could go on with this episode for chapters. It almost became an entire different story. Believe me, my characters are pushing May and the Doctor out of the way, and demanding their own show. This world I have created is big and complicated. My notebook is full of remarks, references, characterization, etc. It is tough cramming it into so little chapters and still having it flow. I am doing it though, I think? It isn't too fast paced? Not too much information at once? Nothing too choppy? None of you are overwhelmed are you? I'm going to be sad to see it end still. I might write something again later in the extras. If anyone would like that, that is? :3
> 
> Like I said in the previous chapter, the next episode is The Empty Child. :0 It's definitely going to be different. As you can tell, I am not writing the episodes as they were. I'm putting my own style to them because compared to the original, May is a different factor in things. Some of it will be the same, and some will probably leave you in suspense. I'm sticking to the episodes as they come from now on, maybe a original chapter here or there, but no time jumping. At least not for the time being. So~ if anyone is wanting to see Ten, Eleven, or Twelve you will be sorely disappointed. It's all Nine, Rose, Jackie, Mickey, and our handsome Jack Harkness from here on out! Well, at least until I finish season one~!
> 
> I wanted to finish this episode this chapter, but Her Name is IIyase was just getting to damn long! I needed a break and some love (aka reviews)! So next chapter is the last chapter on this episode then we get back to the Doctor! My creative juices are already overflowing! I've re-watched the episode like three times now, so I think I know how I want write May and the Doctor's encounter . Still, there is room for change!(...I still have to finish up this episode) Sadly, IIyase and Raltz's time is coming to an end and the true beginning will begin. 
> 
> I think I might cry next chapter. :[


	5. Her name was IIyase: Renegade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A war begins and May's time with Raltz ends.

"My name is Steotue, but you can call me Sto."

May kept her hands clenched together below the table in order to keep her nerves hidden. She sat with her back straight, shoulders back, and feet firmly planted on the ground in order to give the appearance of confidence.

But on the inside, she was a wilting flower.

"Hello, Steotue." She greeted without as much as a stutter. She inwardly cheered. "Why do you still wear that mask? This isn't the penitentiary."

The Chula across from her studied her silently behind his helmet. "It is regulation. I am sorry if it offends you."

May shook her head. "No, not really. I'm just curious. We are outside the penitentiary so I thought they might bend that rule a bit."

"I am afraid it is quite the opposite." He replied. "Prisoners outside the penitentiary are subjected to rules administered by the Empire so strict that it makes the guards in the penitentiary seem reasonable."

_Well, isn't that a scary thought._ May thought to herself with a frown. She knew convincing the Empire _not_ go to war with the hybrids would be hard, but she thought they would be at least be _willing_ to listen. Nobody could ever want a war.

"Would you be more comfortable with it off?" He asked suddenly, breaking May's pity party.

"It doesn't matter." May shrugged, crossing then re-crossing her ankles. "I'm just sad to see the Chula so willing to hide. You are a very beautiful species."

The Chula was silent as he studied her. It was hard to tell his expression behind the black visor. His body language expressed indifference. Not that she was any good at reading body language. May twitched as Sto pushed his chair backwards, and began peeling of the gloves he was wearing.

"It is not that we are hiding." He began while slowly lifting up his hands, grasping his helmet. "It is that we wish to institutionalize fear."

He removed his head cover to reveal the face of a middle-aged male. He was violet in color with little wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. His green eyes were large on his face. To the point they overshadowed his little button nose on top of a set of full lips.

"Why?" She inquired curiously.

"Well, for control of course." He replied as he sat the helmet off to the side. "People are afraid of the unknown. It disables them."

"And the people who are not afraid?"

"Everybody is afraid."

"Then why did you just take off your mask just now?" She asked pointing. "You must have realized I am not afraid of you."

"Yes, ma'am." He agreed lacing his long fingers together. "You see, when people do not know or understand something it creates misconceptions. These misconceptions lead to fabrications, and those fabrications lead to tales. Tales to legends, legends to myths, and so on." His head lulled side to side as he rolled his eyes, his hands waving exaggeratedly in the air. "But just _what_ exactly is a myth?"

"A story." She answered with raised brows. "Just a fancy story. Full of words."

Sto shrugged his shoulders, nodding his head in agreement. "Yes, yes of course it is, but do not stories usually hold some resemblance of truth?" He gave a little smile, and leaned further in. "Wonder: do they really have no heads? Are they really all mouths, no eyes? No faces? Scales? Sores? Burns? What if they _are_ gods?" May was silent as his stare carved into her skin. His gaze was scrutinizing – judging, probing.

"But you're not." She stated unintimidated. "You are mortal. Just a person, and I know that. So that is why you took it off – your mask."

Sto leaned back in his chair, his fingers laced together, eyes calculating. "The prisoners, or hybrids, if you would like. That is what they call themselves, right?" He left the question hanging, but May was in no mood to answer. So, Sto brushed her silence off. "They fear us because of this helmet, or mask, as you so eloquently put. They do not know who or what is behind it, and they do not want to know."

"That's not true." May denied venomously. "People want to know."

"Of course they do. Curiosity is a way of nature." He agreed, but his emerald eyes were cold. "But what is that old human proverb? Curiosity killed the dinosaurs?"

May scowled, but she gripped her kneecaps in order to keep them from shaking. "It's cat. Curiosity killed the cat."

"Oh." He exclaimed looking genuinely thoughtful. "Thank you. The human language is still so foreign to me sometimes." He sighed exaggeratedly and shook his head. "Fear gets to even the best of us." He chuckled, but it was dark and frigid. "Do you know how many people have threatened to take off my helmet? How many swore they would? Rip it off my skull they said. Do you know how many were given the chance? How many took it?"

May was silent as Sto smiled softly at her. "Not many, as you can see - I still have my head." His hands motioned to his face.

"Is there a point to you telling me all this?" May inquired irritably, grinding her teeth. "You still have not answered my question."

His face light up, and his eyes sparkled. "Have I not? No, no, I guess I did not. The point I am trying to make is that people, those people out there – the hybrids – they _fear_ the mask, and so do you."

May's brows shot upward in surprise, and her mouth set into a hard line. "No, you're wrong. I am not afraid! I know what is behind them -."

"Exactly!" Sto exclaimed exuberantly, almost rising from his seat. "The hybrids they do not _know_ , they do not know _anything._ Behind these masks we could be a number of things. We could be their darkest fears, and people do not face their darkest fears." The ends of his lips twitched, like he was struggling not to smile. "And you…you…" May fidgeted in her seat while he looked at her. The room felt too big and too small at once. It was getting hard to breathe, hard to think, and he was just staring at her. In awe. In puzzlement. In some kind of emotion that May was sure she wouldn't like. Sto sat back: returning to his relaxed and professional posture – his hands folding neatly together on the table. "The hybrids fear us taking off our masks, but _you_ fear us putting them back on."

"I do _not_." May denied venomously with a scowl, hands turned into fists. "You don't know me. You don't know -."

"On the contrary." Sto interrupted, holding up his hand, gesturing for her to pause. "I know a lot more than you think." He sounded quite proud of that fact as he reached underneath his chair grabbing a bag. Inside the bag, he grasped the contents and promptly laid them out in front of May.

"May Owens - institutionalized on the 5th day of March, year 5437." He read before pausing and raising his eyes to look at her expectantly. "Or do you prefer 'IIyase'?"

May pursed her lips, and glowered. Sto didn't seem to mind as he persisted. "That is what they call you, correct? The… _hybrids_?" Sto's lips quirked a little, mirth in the tone of his voice. Like he was laughing at a joke only he knew.

She bristled from the pure audacity of the man. _How dare he treat their independence like a joke!_

May opened her mouth, to say some carefully chosen colorful words, but what came out was something she was not expecting.

"Yes."

She was so startled by it that she couldn't control the surprised expression that came across her face. Sto didn't seemed all that shocked by the truthful answer as he went to make a mark on his notebook.

"And who gave you this nickname?"

Again, May was astonished by her inability to keep her mouth shut.

"Lefaghy."

His brows rose as he thoughtfully hummed.

"Truly? And when was this?"

"S-six months-." May willed for her mouth to close, too keep silent, but her jaw just kept flapping. "After I-I arrived."

"Six months, hmm." He scribbled before looking up, taking notice of her panicked expression. "Oh, my apologies. I guess you are finally taking notice of the truth field."

"Truth f-field?" She repeated scrunching her face together. Brows crossed in a frustrated expression.

"Yes." Sto crossed his fingers, looking apologetic. "I should have mentioned it." He then gestured towards the room. "This room is constantly pumped full of an odorless hypnotic drug that as you breath it in, it attaches itself to your brain stem. Did you know when people lie there is an increase in brain activity? Your brain works harder in order to fabricate a lie rather than tell the blunt truth. The drug hinders that reflex." He chuckled softly. "And don't worry. There won't be any lasting effects. The hypnotic gets absorbs quickly by the body. So when you leave this room you will only be under its influence for about another 20 minutes or so. Though you will have a headache for a couple hours, and I would recommend not to do any high mathematics for a while."

May glared defiantly at the chula, head held high, but at the same time - she was shaking to the core. They could ask her anything and she would have no choice but to answer. How much _did_ they know about her? Did they know her secret? Did they know the Doctor?

Still, one thing did not make sense.

"You took off your helmet." She commented, settling her hands on her lap, rubbing her hands together.

"As you can see." Sto drawled in bored tone as he settled his gaze back to his notebook. "I must make note that the drug took 8.6 more minutes longer to take effect than usual. Is that common in humans?"

"I don't know." May shrugged, rolling her eyes. "Next time I see another human being in a truth field, I'll ask."

Sto looked unimpressed as he continued writing without looking down. "Do you always respond with sarcasm when you feel pressured?"

May froze slightly before she began squirming in her seat. "No, not really."

"Then what has caused this sudden hostility?"

"You." She admitted, refusing to look at the chula. "This situation."

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid." May began bouncing her legs, knees bumping against the table causing it tremble. There wasn't no point in hiding her nervousness now. Especially since she just blurted it out.

"You are afraid of me?" Sto asked, looking honestly surprised with his wide eyes and slightly hanging.

"Yes."

"Well, why?"

"Because of what you will ask." She bit her lip. "And what you know."

Sto was silent for a moment - contemplating. "I suppose that it is only natural." He smiled. May didn't know if it was supposed to be comforting or not. It looked creepy to her. "But do not fret, everything here is confidential. No one else will know what is said in this room – except you and I." May's brows rose in surprise as Sto turned back towards his notebook. "I think it is time to get started."

"Started? On what?"

"Your biography." He replied looking incredulous. "Surely you realized this was going to happen. With your extensive knowledge of the Chula customs and such."

"I don't under-." May paused scrunching her eyebrows together as she thought. Then, after a moment of silence, realization dawned on her face, and she paled. "You are writing my last minutes."

"Exactly!" Sto smiled broadly, his teeth annoyingly white. "Now let us get started. As much as I have enjoyed are conversation - duty does call."

Sto held a pen steadily in his hand as he looked over the notebook with a look of intense concentration. May watched the chula, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, a look of stunned disbelief crossing her face.

"When you first arrived on Chuponia V it is written here that you…" Sto squinted at the text on the notebook before his brow shot up, and he looked at May with mixture of shock and awe. "Were found standing in the _Pool of Fauthusseo_."

May grimaced, and she glanced down, rubbing her knees anxiously. "T-that was an accident. I sort of...woke up there…floating."

She thought she was drowning at first. Water up to her ears, no solid surface beneath her, and purple sky as far as the eye could see. She thought the Doctor had abandoned her. Dropped her off in an ocean to cleanse himself of her presence. It wasn't until she flailed, panicked, that her bum hit the bottom, and she realized that the water was only knee deep. Still in the middle of nowhere, but at least she wasn't going to drown to death. She walked for hours till she reached the edge of the ocean.

"That day is famous." Sto commented excitedly buzzing with energy. "It has become known in history as the _Day of Taint._ The priests spent four days praying and cleansing the waters."

Really? What an overreaction. It wasn't even a _real_ ocean. It was _sweet_ – basically sugar water. Took forever to get out of her hair.

"And you woke up _floating_?" He asked incredulously looking awed. "How did you arrive at the palace then?"

May crossed her arms and frowned. "I walked."

"Walked?" He repeated slowly in disbelief. "Walked. You walked the _Pool of_ _Fauthusseo_ , the endless ocean that pours into the very heart of Akmehn."

May frowned. "It was barely two feet deep."

Sto blinked stupidly at her for a moment before he started laughing, a deep belly aching laugh that had May scowling. _Why was it no one ever believe me?_ Everyone who had asked her the same question never once believed her. They would give her a funny look, study her serious face, and then burst out laughing. Some would even chuckle softly, shake their head while patting her back like she was a child in need of comfort. " _It's okay, I understand"_ they would say and then leave her standing there flabbergasted. Understand? Understand _what_? What was the secret meaning in her story that needed discovered or understood?

Sto wiped the tears of mirth from his face. "Alright, I understand-." May groaned exasperated while rolling her eyes in disbelief. _For the love of-! Ridiculous!_

"-let us move on."

"Please." May grumbled, sitting back in her chair.

Sto's lips twitched upward in amusement as he flipped the page. "It says here that when you were detained you were ' _highly hostile and uncooperative'_? Why is that?"

"Are you serious?" May exclaimed in annoyance, brows raised. "Tell me that isn't a serious question?"

"Very serious."

She scoffed, and crossed her arms. "Well, you try having the day I had, and tell me if you are willing to cooperate with five foot aliens arresting you!"

Sto smiled and laced his fingers together so he could rest his chin on top. "And what kind of day did you have?"

May glared stubbornly. "A bad one."

Sto hummed as he unlaced his fingers. With that stupid smirk still plastered on his face, the chula sat back in his chair – a pillar of tranquility.

"It also says here that when the attempt to remove all foreign alien objects from your person, the cleaner was met with -." Sto glanced down skimming the writing quickly. "- _resistance_."

Her grip tightened around her elbows as May paled. A rock of fear settled in her stomach causing her to feel nausea.

May refused to meet the gaze of the chula. "That was…I don't know what that was."

Everything had been happening so fast that day. One moment she was with the Doctor and company then the next she woke up alone and wet. She had been terrified, confused, and utterly alone. So when she found civilization, only to find herself surrounded by aliens, she sort of – might have – flipped her lid. Especially when foreign hands began grabbing her.

Sto was silent as he stared at May. His gaze wasn't judgmental nor was it angry – it was blank. Voided of all emotion. He hummed as he sat his pen and pushed himself away from the table. He then began rolling up the sleeves of his body suit revealing a watch of some sort on his top left wrist. He looked up to see May glancing at him every now and then. Her jaw clenched and expression defiant.

"Well-." Sto began with a sigh and pressed a small button on the side of the watch. "-if you would not mind, I think it is time for a small experiment."

_Click_

May's arms uncrossed themselves, and against her will, forcefully slammed on top of the table. The steel manacles on her wrist gleamed an eerie purple, and a painful tingling sensation went down her arm.

"Ah! Ah!" She screamed, flinging herself forward and kicking back her chair. May fell to her knees and began trying to tug her hands free from the phantasmal grip that they were in.

"W-w-what is -!" She began glaring at the chula, but was stopped short with another painful tingling sensation exploding in her hands. "Ah! Ah-ck!" May unclenched her fists and laid her hands flat against the table – fingers extended. The tingling sensation went away. May breathed a sigh of relief as she rested her head against the table's edge.

"I apologize for any discomfort you are feeling." Sto stated looking contrite as he slipped gloves back on his hands. "But questions must be answered."

Breathing heavily, May opened one eye to glare at Sto. "What did you -?" Her heart stopped beating as she saw the chula reach out to one of her ringed fingers. She jerked forward and clenched her hands. The pain came back in full force.

"No! Stop it!" She cried as she opened her hand, but only to close it again. "Stop!" She repeated this process a couple more times. Sto paused in his reaching, and looked down at May.

"Why is it you wear all this jewelry?" he asked suddenly, raising a brow. "Is it some religious aspect of humankind? A mark from a human colony? Maybe fashion? Humans have the strangest taste in fashion."

"No." May struggled to keep her panic under control. She watched Sto's hands with hawk like perception. Watching them wave in the air in exaggeration then settle back down onto the table, _too_ close to her rings for her comfort. "I don't -."

"Humans also have a strange fetish for mutilation."

Startled, May eyes flickered to Sto who was staring at her with a look of contemplation. "Is that what this is? Are you addicted to pain?" May opened and closed her mouth, too offended to answer, but Sto continued anyway – waving his hands. "What is it you humans used to say? _Addicted to the needle_?"

"No!" May shouted angrily, face turning red. "I'm not addicted to – to...I _hate_ needles!"

Before she could even react, Sto had her arm pinned at her elbow while his other hand cupped her fingers. His thumb ran over her multiple rings. May's heart jumped to her throat then fell to the deepest darkest bowels of her body. Something dark and feral rose in its stead.

"Stop." She growled narrowing her eyes as her hand clenched and unclenched. Sto just stared passively as he rubbed the ring on her index finger.

May clenched her teeth. "Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop! Stop! **Stop! Stopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstop! They do not** _belong_ **to you!"**

Sto wrapped his fingers delicately around the ring, and May felt the little piece of jewelry begin to slip from her finger. She froze. _No._ Everything went absolutely still inside her – her thoughts, movements, breathing. _No!_ The ring began to slip past her knuckle. **_No!_** May lifted her head and glared at Sto, pouring everything she had into the action.

**"I won't forgive you."** She warned as she narrowed her eyes and snarled. **"I'll never forgive you. Stop it, or I'll…"**

_Clack_

May suddenly crumbled to the ground and curled into tight ball. With her hands free she cradled them into her chest, and she began to weep uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry. S-sorry." She apologized bringing the violated hand closer to her face. She inspected the ring: the large width of the band, the silver in color, and the white and green jewels crowned at the top. She pushed the ring back firmly down on her finger then closed her fist and moved it to her face. May gently laid a kiss upon the jewel. She then lifted her hands and caressed her face in a comforting manor. Yet she brushed against all the piercing on her face as if making sure that they were all still there. Still together.

"I apologize for any distress I may have caused." Sto voice apologized from behind her. May flinched away as she heard the sound of the chair being lifted and scrapped across the floor. "This is all for the sake of seeking truth."

"What-." May croaked looking up with tears building in her eyes. "What do you want from me?"

Sto stared down at her, his head cocked, with a look of interest. "People do not realize there are many types of truths. I could go on and name them, but then we would run out of time, and what does that solve?" He straightened his head, and touched his chin while sighing. "I have interviewed twenty six of the fifty two Hybrids captured, and you are the last one before the ceremony tomorrow. I regret that I could not speak with you earlier. Our conversations could have been interesting." He bent at his waist and smiles down at her. "I know you have figured out how to avoid answering my questions. You are smart, real smart. I can see why the Hybrids love you. So I will be brutally honest." He narrows his eyes which become almost cat-like in appearance. May shrinks back, her fists clenching and unclenching. "No more half-truths, May "IIyase" Owens. No more deflections. You will answer my questions honestly, willingly, and to the best of your ability. For I _will_ write your biography with your cooperation or-." He reached out his right hands towards her. Face masked with malicious intent. May cried in terror and cowered below the table.

"No!" She pleaded, burying her hands between her legs, face turned away.

Sto's hands stopped just inches from her face before turning up right and he held them out to her. "-or without. Your choice."

May stared sideways at the appendage with wide terrified eyes before shifting to his face and back. She swallowed thickly. How did she get into this mess? All she wanted to do was go home. Go home and read her books. This wasn't fair. This wasn't fair at all, Doctor. _What did I do to deserve this?_

May reached forward, but bypassed the chula's outstretched hand and grasped onto the edge of the chair. _I don't want to do this…I want to go, but…_ May bit down on her lip hard as she pulled herself up to her feet. Sto smiled up at her as he backed away and rounded the table _…what other choice do I have?_

"Good, good." Sto exclaimed as he watched May with hawk-like perception as she settled unceremoniously onto her seat. _None. None at all._ She was trapped. May sat with her body at an angle facing away from the desk, she had her arms crossed, and her hands gripping the sides of her shirt in a tight hold. She couldn't stop shaking.

"Now, shall we begin again?" Sto asked pleasantly with a gentle smile on his face. He held up his pen and poised it over the paper. "Now for the record: do you prefer IIyase or May?"

…

..

* * *

..

...

"IIyase." Raltz mumbled as he held onto a crumbled piece of paper. "Kaurd." He let the paper fall from his fingertips, and land on the floor. He looked around the spacious room with the expression of deep sadness and regret.

_They took everything_. He thought woefully as he stepped towards the broken window. _They didn't even bother covering it up._ The chula took the books, the papers, the furniture, and even the food: they took it all and burnt it in the streets. IIyase's apartment was bare of everything excluding the left over bits of paper they didn't bother gathering. Clearly this was a stunt was for show only or everything would had been confiscated.

No, this was only a warning. Warning them not to rise above their station. Raltz stared out to the upper penitentiary, watching the fires and smoke that were rising up into the sky. He could not see much, but from what he could, it looked as if the city itself was on fire. There were riots going on in the streets. The hybrids and a few human prisoners were attacking the chula guards. While Hover bots flew overhead like flocks of birds, shouting commands and stunning passersby. Most people though were too stunned by the violence that they stared at the ever-growing flames, and prophesied a dark future.

Even though Raltz was terrified for IIyase's safety, at the same time, he was glad she was not here to see this. She surely would have been heartbroken at the sight. She would probably be out in the streets, right now, trying to stop it all.

"IIyase." Raltz mumbled as he placed a hand on the broken window pane.

"Calling out her name while looking lost and forlorn won't bring her back." Someone exclaimed from behind. Startled, Raltz swung around gripping the small blade he carried on his person, and snarled threateningly. Soon as he saw who it was though, he relaxed his posture, but didn't look any less hostile.

"What are you doing here?" Raltz sneered as he turned to look back out the window.

Lefaghy stared passively from doorway, unfazed by the aggression he was receiving from the teenager. The shorter hybrid leaned against the door frame sweeping his violet eyes across the room.

"It looks bigger now." He mused softly, face deadpanned. "IIyase was definitely not known for her housekeeping skills that's for sure."

"Stop." Raltz commanded - brows twitching in irritation.

"-border-lining hoarder."

"Will you **stop** talking?!" Raltz shouted in rage, orange eyes narrowing dangerously. "What do you want Lefaghy? Haven't you ruined enough?"

The blue hybrid was breathing so heavily he was almost hyperventilating. Raltz was just barely able to contain the swirling dark emotions growing in his body. _This is his fault!_ He thought furiously. _Him and his army!_

Lefaghy answered his question with silence, and instead, stared the younger hybrid down. This only irritated Raltz more.

"Why don't you just go away?" he growled. "You're not wanted here."

The leader of the rebellion just sighed. "I know how you feel, Raltz, and I'm sorry about Kaurd and IIyase…"

"Don't you dare say their names like that!" Raltz shouted clenching his fists, gritting his teeth. "Like they're already gone! Like there is no hope!"

"You need stop acting so wounded." Lefaghy stated, frowning deeply. "This isn't about only you."

"I know that!" Raltz slammed his fists against the wall. "This is about Blyph who is inconsolable. He won't stop crying - wailing out their names. This is about Vox who hasn't said a word since that day and walks around like a lifeless doll. This is about Zul who hasn't been at the house in days, instead stays at who knows where with who knows who! And I…! And I…I-." Raltz trailed off because he wasn't sure what he had been doing. The days had all blurred together into one dark abyss.

"I'll rephrase." Lefaghy said as he pushed off the wall. "This isn't about only you and your little gang, Raltz."

_How could he be so...so..._ Raltz snarled, lips peeled back over his teeth. He was just so angry! His heart swelled and ached with so much rage that his entire body began to shake. _How dare he! How dare he! How dare he!_

"How dare you!" Raltz screamed as he stormed forward. "Have you no heart? Do you not care about what happens to everyone? Kri? Eehx? IIyase?! What about her? You care about what happens to her don't you?"

"Of course, I do!" Lefaghy shouted back, face twisted in irritation. He ran a hand over his scalp. "I never said I didn't. IIyase is my friend, but in times of war-."

"This isn't war!"

"-there are sacrifices!" the leader of the rebellion finished as he glared at the teenager. "I cannot be selfish."

"Why not?" Raltz asked expression desperate and confused. "It's IIyase. It's Kaurd."

Lefaghy face softened, and he sighed. "You care a great deal for your friends don't you, Raltz? Would you jump straight into the heart of battle for them?" Lefaghy just smiled sadly and continued before Raltz could think of an answer. "I'm truly jealous. That's a privilege that I cannot afford."

Raltz stared at Lefaghy confused and still very angry. "What do you mean?"

"A leader cannot afford to act irrationally." He explained simply. "Even when his friends are in danger." With that he turned and walked deeper into IIyase's bare apartment.

"This would have happened even without the rebellion." He paused. "Eventually." He stopped near a cluster of papers and stared down at it curiously. "IIyase recovered an old journal from an Elder who lived thousands of years ago. In it described how the population had grown more than the Chula could handle. Despite talks of peace, the Chula Empire enacted a cleansing. They took hundreds of hybrids and threw them into Akmehn's heart - titled as an offering. When actuality, it was to lower the number of our species."

"Why not just kill us off?" Raltz inquired, curious but still dubious. "Why deal with the hassle of herding us?"

"Money." He stated-matter-of-factly as he thrifted through the papers. "We are too valuable of a resource to the Empire. Do you _know_ how much unobtainium we produce for the Empire a day? More than 1.2 billion in gold coins." Raltz about choked on his tongue. "No, they wouldn't dream of getting rid of us."

Raltz watched the leader of the rebellion skim over the papers in his hand with a look of disbelief. Why was he even here? Why was he even tell him this? Shouldn't he be with his little rebellion rioting in the streets? _Why did this even matter?_

"It doesn't matter." Raltz states crossing his arms. "The past is the past. I care about the now. I care about everyone who has been captured." He scowled. "What are doing here, Lefaghy? In IIyase's apartment?"

"Doesn't it matter?" Lefaghy responded whimsically as he tossed the papers aside.

"What?"

Lefaghy looked up at him with a serious expression on his face. "Haven't you learned anything from IIyase?" Raltz turned blue with embarrassment. "History tells us that good does not always prevail. Sometimes the good starts out small and insignificant. If a cause is for the just and the well-being of others: that cause will grow, and nothing will stop it. Not even its oppressors." The leader of the rebellion swept a hand across the floorboards. "Our past tells us that we were weak. That though we wanted freedom, we were not ready to take it. We were scared and unwilling to fight for it, but the taste of freedom is sweet. We refused to let it go, even if it felt impossible." His fingers stuck between the sides of the boards. "We are stronger now, and for that, I thank IIyase."

Lefaghy tugged with all his strength, pulling at the board from the floor. The floor squeaked under the pressure and gave a crack as it was split in half. Raltz stepped closer and stared into the hole that had been made.

"Guns?" he gasped then stared Lefaghy in horror. There were so many bundled together underneath the floor. Raltz had never seen so many in one area. Not even with the guards. "You're thanking IIyase for _weapons_?"

Lefaghy just laughed. He laughed so hard his face began turning dark green. "Of course not! IIyase hates guns. She doesn't even know they are here." He shook his head and grabbed a rifle from the pile. "No, IIyase gave the people a taste of freedom. With her knowledge, her stories, and her optimism."

"Yeah." Raltz smiled fondly, scratching his cheek. "She's pretty awesome."

Lefaghy raised a brow as he studied the younger hybrid. "I wouldn't place IIyase on such a high pedestal. She is only human."

Raltz raised his brows. _What was he talking about?_ IIyase was flawless. Lefaghy stood from his sitting position and dusted off his pants all while still holding the rifle.

"IIyase is special, I'm not going to deny that. There is something that draws people to her, but she has her weakness, like anyone else." Lefaghy explained as he stared down the younger hybrid.

"What do you know about IIyase?" Raltz grumbled, glaring. "What's she to you?"

"I know enough." Lefaghy shrugged but then smiled. "And you could say I'm her best friend."

Startled, Raltz slouched his posture and stared dumbfounded. _What?_ How come he never heard IIyase say anything? The shorted hybrid just laughed and strolled forward, patting Raltz on the shoulder as he passed by.

"Don't worry, kid." He grinned. "Out of all IIyase's possible suitors, you're the one she talked about the most."

Raltz blinked owlishly before his cheeks began to burn. _W-what? Really?_ He turned round to see Lefaghy walk towards the doorway and knock against the open door.

"Clear!" He shouted downward. "It's here! It is all still here and undisturbed." There were shouts of confirmation from the second floor, and suddenly footsteps thundered up the stairs. Raltz watched in fascination as hybrids of all sizes came in and began tearing up the floor. Large bags were brought in and set down in lines. The weapons were then removed from the beneath the flooring and placed into the open baggages.

"What?" Raltz mumbled startled as he watched the rebels carry the full bags down the flight of stairs. "W-what is going on, Lefaghy?"

"This is the start of the beginning." He replied, standing off to the side, watching the scene with an air of resolution.

"Beginning of what?" Raltz asked thoroughly confused. _What was he planning on doing with all these weapons?_

"Freedom." The leader of the rebellion replied with a pleased grin stretched on his face.

Raltz snapped his head towards Lefaghy. "Are you going to rescue them? Kaurd? IIyase?"

Lefaghy's smile dropped to a thin tight line and his eyes hardened around the edges.

"No."

Instantly, Raltz snarled and clenched his fists in rage. "Why not? You have too!"

"No, I don't." he denied and walked towards the younger hybrid. Raltz held his ground.

"Yes, you do!" he growled as the Lefaghy stopped in front of him. "They're innocent!"

"There is no such thing as innocence in war." Lefaghy replied and crossed his lower arms. "And I'm not going to save them because-." He held out the rifle towards the younger hybrid. "-you're going to do it instead."

"W-what?" Raltz stuttered eyes widening in shock. "I couldn't...I can't...IIyase said-."

"IIyase isn't here." Lefaghy reminded him. "She is taken and she is going to die."

Raltz's mouth shut tightly and all the blood seemed to drain out of his face. He glanced at the gun then back up at Lefaghy.

"Remember what IIyase has always said." He said with the barest of smiles. " _Sometimes you've got to fight for the things you love_ _._ "

He did remember IIyase saying something along those lines once, but he was sure she had something else too. He just couldn't remember what that was at that moment, because Lefaghy just made _sense_. If no one was going to save his friends, save IIyase, then he should. He would.

"I don't..." Raltz swallowed thickly as he stared at the gun in fascination. "I don't know how..."

Lefaghy placed a hand on his shoulder cause Raltz to look at him. "I could teach you." Raltz blinked owlishly before looking at the weapon again. It looked like such an innocent thing. Nothing like the killer weapon it could be.

Raltz licked his lips, his eyes flickering nervously to the short statured hybrid. "W-what do you want me to do?"

The leader of the rebellion just grinned.

…

..

* * *

..

…

"Nice legs, beautiful."

May closed her eyes as soon as she entered her prison cell, and let out a slow breath. "Not now Jacob."

"Aww~ what happened to Jack?" She heard him question with a slight pout in his voice. "I was just starting to get used to it."

"I got tired of mistaking you for someone else." May snapped as she glared at the man who was laying laid back on his bed. Jack winked causing her to scoff. She continued on, walking towards her bed which was now completely white, spotless, and wrinkle free. Definitely not the way she had left it. The chula had put clean sheets down and made-up her bed. _What considerate captors._ May sighed. _Whatever._ She crawled on top of the bed, and sat against the wall. Placing a pillow on her lap, May pulled her legs close and sat her chin on the pillow. _What an exhausting day._

"Interrogation not agreeing with you?" Jack asked humorously. "It's an acquired taste. I've got to say the truth field is a new one. Never done that before. It's definitely a ruiner of relationships."

"Must you talk right now?" May whined burying her head between her knees. "Can't you not for like an hour?"

"Sorry, beautiful." Jack apologized (though he didn't sound sorry). "Just me and four walls for eight hours straight – the struggle is real. Did you know boredom is the fifth leading cause of death in most galaxies?"

"Please don't make me beg, Jacob." She pleaded. She just needed silence. No talking. No thinking. No matching of wits. She just wanted to be left alone – just for a moment.

"But where is the fun in that?" He joked, laughing.

"This isn't fun." She moaned in agony, lifting her head. "What has gotten into you? Why are you choosing today of all days to be a Miss. Chatty Cathy?"

Her prison cell was white in color as everything chula seemed to be. Three of her walls were solid unobtainium, about nine feet high, two feet thick, and unbreakable without the right equipment. Even her floor was unobtainium which made digging for freedom impossible. Even if one would try for a hundred years, it would barely make a dent on the surface. The fourth wall that currently stood across from her was see-through tempered glass. She could see Jack clear as day from her side of the cell into his. They were neighbors. For the week they had been here, stuck with only each other as entertainment, her neighbor had been eerily silent. Barely saying a word to her. Not without the lack of trying on her part though.

She tried to strike up a conversation multiple times. Asking him about his days in the penitentiary or about his relationship with Lefaghy. She asked him about his days as a time agent. May went as far as to ask him his favorite color. He was stubborn in his silence. So the days passed with May growing more and more afraid of tomorrow.

She wasn't really going to die was she? She couldn't die yet. She hasn't even met the Doctor! Yet the words _time can be rewritten_ haunted her. Even more when adding _because of her._

_Was Jack going to die tomorrow because of me?_ She thought horrified one day. _Was all this happening because of me?_ Jack couldn't die. He was canon. You can't just kill off a canon person!

"What? Can't a guy be concerned for his neighbor?" Jack gasped touching his chest. "I'm offended, Legs."

Jack, while she hadn't been watching, had sat up off his bed. His legs were crossed and he was laying back so he was leaning against the wall. He was staring at her so intensely it was making May uncomfortable.

"No." she snapped, nails digging into her pillow. "And don't call me that."

"What? Legs? Why?"

"I don't like it." She replied, glaring. _Only Jack called me Legs. Not this Jacob character who wore Jack's face._

Jack hummed in thought as he crossed his arms – expression blank. "Were you really struck with the truth field? Because honestly, I'm not seeing it."

"What? Of course I wa-." May stumbled over her words as her eyes widened in realization. "Are you interrogating me?!"

He couldn't be serious right now. _Is he serious right now?_ May's mouth gaped open utterly flabbergasted and offended.

Jack ignored her as he touched his chin in thought. "Or maybe you're just good at evasion." He pointedly looked at her brows raised. "Are you trained for this? Are you a time agent sent to track me down?"

_This...jerk!_

"What? No!" May denied venomously, snarling. "Don't flatter yourself, Jack."

She couldn't believe he was doing this. How could he be so-so devious? This wasn't the Jack she knew from the show.

"Ooh, so not a time agent." Jack mumbled touching his chin thoughtfully. "Slightly disappointing. I had questions if you were." He stood up slowly, stretching his muscles in an unhurried manor, like he had all the time in the world. "I say there is about 10 or so minutes left till the effects of the truth drug run out." He walked towards her with a slight sway in his step. "You and I need to have a so called _heart to heart_ , Legs."

May glowered as she pulled the pillow deeper into her chest. "What do you want?"

The man hummed with a smirk on his face as he leaned against the glass on his forearm. "That is a such a diverse question. I mean..." Jack licked his lips suggestively. "What does a man like me want?"

"Freedom." She replied unable to help herself. The drug still potent in her veins. "Time." Jack was silent for a moment as he continued to smile at her, but something hardened around the edges.

"Who are you?" He demanded with eyes of steel. "Who are you really?"

May licked her lips nervously. "That's such a diverse question."

Jack slammed his fist against the wall and yelled in anger causing May to jump. The man spun sharply, seething, pacing with his hands on his hips. "You're a tough one." He mumbled, shaking his head. "I can see why Lefaghy liked you."

"Stop it." May said softly gripping her knees tightly. "Don't, Jack."

"There it is!" Jack twirled back around and pointed. "That name. That's _not_ my name. If you knew me as you claimed you do then you would know my name."

_I don't know!_ She wanted to scream. _They didn't tell me! It wasn't important!_ May's head was pulsating. There was a stabbing pain behind her eyes and at the sides of her temples. It felt like her entire head was about to implode. She wanted everything and everyone to leave her alone.

Just.

Stop.

**Talking**.

"What do you..." May swallowed thickly wincing as a sharp pain crossed her eyes. "...what do you want? What do you want me tell you?"

Jack walked towards her menacingly, and leaned up against the wall on his forearm. He was so close to the glass that his nose was almost pressing against it.

"No games. No dodging the question. I want the truth. The full truth, IIyase."

_The truth?_ May raised her head slowly, and stared at the man across from her. "You want the truth?" Jack nodded, eyes resolute. So May stood equally as determined. She threw the pillow with all her might aiming it at Jack's face, and was grudgingly dissatisfied at the fact it didn't make a single mark - or even a sound.

"This truth is I waited for you!" She bellowed, seething - chest moving heavily. "I waited for you and the Doctor for _months_!" She stalked towards him. "He said...he _told_ me he would find me, and I...I _believed_ him. God, why did I believe him?" She laughed while shaking her head. She sounded insane, and that particular moment, she didn't care. "That man had been absolutely _horrid_ since I met him. He had more mood swings than a thirteen year old girl!" She swung around and glared at Jack. "...but I waited. I believed that you...that _he_ would come for me, because you guys were the only things that made any sense! Nothing...nothing makes any sense." May stared at him, holding Jack's gaze. "I waited for you, here on this alien planet, imprisoned. Nothing happened. No one showed. So I moved on. I adapted. I _lived_. Then...then you showed up, out of the blue, and I...I didn't know what to think. You found me. It took years, but y-you...you finally found me. I thought you had come for _me_ , but-but you didn't. You...you came, and you were...you are...young. So young, and you weren't Jack - my Jack. You are someone I don't know, and I..." May closed her eyes, body trembling, and she tried to breathe evenly. "The truth is I am _tired_ of waiting."

Jack was silent throughout her entire rant. He did not move nor did he talk - he didn't even blink. Frankly, May didn't even care if he had stopped breathing. She took a step back on shaky legs, so full of conflicting emotions she could barely contain it in her body. May sank to the ground, wrapping her arms around her middle, trying not to hyperventilate. _I just...told off Captain Jack Harkness. I just flipped out!_ May moaned and cradled her head. _He deserved it though._ Her mind consoled. _Him and the Doctor do_.

"Well, I certainly...wasn't expecting that."

May scoffed making an unlady-like noise through her nose. "What were you expecting?"

"I don't know." He began sounding genuinely confused. "Are you a jilted lover perhaps?"

At that, May had to laugh. It started off a soft chuckle till it grew, and her entire body began to shake with tears of mirth flowing freely down her face. Her laughter echoed, bouncing off the four sided walls, until it sounded like a whole chorus of people. May opened her eyes wiping the excess tears with the back of her hand, risking a look at Jack. He had not moved from his position on the glass wall, but something in his posture changed. His stiffness had relaxed. His shoulders had a slouch to them, his fists were no longer clenched, and his face no longer held suspicion. He had that easy cheesy grin she remembered receiving at the end of the universe.

"No?" He asked pouting. The sight of Captain Jack Harkness pouting, in front of her eyes, sent May into another bout of hysterics.

"Of course not!" She finally replied as her laughter settled. "I'm sorry but you're not my type Jack."

"Ouch!" Jack howled as he placed a hand over his heart. "Way to hurt a man's pride, Legs. I'll have you know, I am everyone's type."

May snorted. _Ego much?_ "I'll have _you_ know, I don't have a thing for philanders."

"Oh? And what is _your_ thing, beautiful?"

May froze suddenly, and she felt her entire body go hot and cold at once. Her face felt on fire.

"I th-think that is none of your business." She glared with a slight frown. "How did this conversation come up anyway? Weren't we arguing earlier?"

"How could I continue after hearing such an emotional outburst?" Jack inquired looking offended. "What kind of man would I be if I did not try to calm an obliviously distressed woman?"

"Jack." May sighed shaking her head, but could not stop the smile forming on her lips.

"Besides." Jack commented as he took a step back. "The truth drug has run out, but there is a simple remedy for that." He looked over at May who scowled slightly and he winked.

"Hey!" He yelled startling her. "If this is going to be the last night I'm alive, I've got a couple requests!" He grinned up at the ceiling. "Haven't you chaps heard of listening to a dying man's request?"

"Jack..." May called out watching the man with wide eyes. "What are you...?"

The captain held out a finger, silencing her. "What do you say, huh?"

There was complete silence, and May was positive that they were going to ignore the request of the insane man. She was wrong. There was a clicking sound and soon a voice flooded into their designated rooms.

"What is your request, human?"

May was surprised at how Jack's smile grew even bigger. "Well now, how about you bring down four hypervodkas?" He turned his gaze to May who stared at him mouth hanging open. "How about you, Legs?"

She floundered. "I uh...um?"

"And four more for the lady!" Jack interrupted, ordering for her. "Dirty, please." He winked again and she flushed.

"Anything else?" the voice droned. Jack shrugged, turning to look at May with his brows raised in question.

"Umm?" May wrung her hands nervously. "Pizza?"

"Pizza?" Jack exclaimed with a laugh. "Do they make pizza here?"

"Yes, it was one part of human culture that has been passed down, and reinvented through the years."

"Really?" he asked again in disbelief, and she nodded. "Fantastic! The lady here would like a large -."

"Three." May spoke up wiggling in her sitting position. "Three x-large."

Jack swung his head, and looked at her with wide blue eyes. He then busted out laughing.

"Okay then! Three x-large cheese pizzas!" He called out. "If it wouldn't be to much trouble."

There was a pause in the air before the room crackled. "Done."

Jack beamed at her triumphantly before settling back onto his own bed. May pushed herself backwards on the tips of her heels until she felt a bump against her back as she connected with the side of her cot. Then the two stared at each other as they waited in silence for their last meal. _What's going to happen now?_ She wondered as the fear began to hollow out her chest again. _I don't know. I truly don't know._

"You've got that look again."

May tugged her legs closer and wrapped her arms around her knees. "What look?"

"The look that says you're thinking about things too hard."

"When did you become an expert at deciphering my emotions?"

Jack smirked. "Why, IIyase? Have I been the only one enjoying our last few days together? I thought we were getting so close."

"Is this an act?" May inquired with a raised brow and a scowl. "Or are you always this egotistical?"

"Ow!" Jack exclaimed as he touched his chest feigning hurt. "That hurt. Real deep, Legs."

"I'm sure you will survive." May mumbled sourly.

"You know, I don't get you, IIyase." Jack commented as he lowered his arm, face perplexed, but his eyes held that eerily look from earlier in them. "In one moment, you are a soft spoken and oh so shy that it's painful. Like a kitten or a mouse. You would be afraid of you're own shadow if it wasn't connect to your feet." He rested his chin on the palm of his hand and cocked his head at her. "The next you are a wordsmith. Cutting down people with words sharper than daggers. You hold an air of confidence about you that would almost suggest you were some unspoken royalty. You do not look down on people, but yet, you do not believe yourself to be one of them either. Such a contradiction." May pursed her lips as she glared at the man. No longer did she feel the compulsion to open her mouth and spill out her deep and darkest feelings. Yet she felt so offended that she felt the need to defend herself. Jack continued on before she decide.

"I can definitely see why Lefaghy likes you." Jack stated as he flopped down onto his bed. "I can also see why he heeds your counsel."

May laughed bitterly. "Yea, if he paid any heed I don't think we would be in this situation right now."

"He has his faults." He shrugged as he rested his head on his hands. "Everyone does."

"His _fault_ is his pride." She mumbled, resting her chin on her knees. "It's every mans. No matter what species."

Jack just hummed in response, unwilling to argue or just dismissing her. May wasn't sure which. Together the two fell back into comfortable but slightly strained silence.

"So." Jack began once again. "Are we friends?"

"What?" She asked startled by the question.

"Are we friends?" He repeated looking at her with one eye open. "In the future? I mean, we have to be if I told you all these personal things." May suddenly felt a bubble of guilt swim in her heart. _No, no in fact you didn't._ She thought sadly. Suddenly, she felt like she encroached on something private. The thing she knew, were things she shouldn't have known. They were personal, private, and she...she...

"Yes." She lied unable to help herself. What else was she going to say? "We're friends. At least, I would like to think we're friends."

Jack grinned broadly as he turned his head back around. "That's good. You seem like a good woman, Legs. Can't help but to say I'm a tiny bit disappointed. You're a catch."

May's turned red for the umpteenth time that day. "Shut it." He laughed. From inside her cell, May heard the sound of the door of their prison section open. Their dinner was here, and May was once again brought to the reality that it may well be her last. She must have made a face because Jack spoke up.

"Don't worry, beautiful." He exclaimed from his position on his bed. Unmoving, even as the Chula stood before their individual prison cells. May smelled the pizza before she saw it. Her stomach spasms then growled in anticipation.

"Just stick with me, and I'll keep you safe."

May thought it was a nice gesture. She wasn't sure if she quite believed him, since he hadn't been the best of company in the last few minutes...hours... _days..._ but he was Jack. A young Jack, but hopefully, Jack all the same. May pushed the thoughts away to think about on a later date. Instead, she focused on the short statured chula guards' carrying the most delicious smelling appetizer in the world.

It took everything May had not to jump the aliens and begin chowing down.

...

..

* * *

..

..

Akmehn: the goddess of war and chaos. The goddess of destruction. Her heart: the black hole of Chuponia V. It is said that Akmehn hated the Chula – the creations of the Great Mother. She was jealous of the love she was denied, and in her revenge tried to destroy the Chula. Akmehn descended from the heavens and began the Lost War. Her minions' plundered villages, desecrated temples, and destroyed crops.

Akmehn killed without mercy.

The Great Mother, Fauthesseo, was horrified by what she saw; but she could not bear the thought of striking down her own child. So instead, Fauthesseo sent her three other children to Chuponia to stop their bloodthirsty sibling. The fight lasted for ages, a war that was fought through out time itself. Till finally, Akmehn's- last attempt to end the power struggle broke Chuponia's very core. Splitting the planet into four gigantic pieces, and placing a gigantic black hole in the planet's place. It was meant to destroy the Chula, erase them from existence, but they were saved. Kneobh, the god of Order and Justice, was able to suspend the black hole. Instead of sinking, the pieces of Chuponia were able to orbit the black hole like the sun.

That is how Chuponia became Chuponia V. Or at least that is what the story tellers say.

Still, none of that really matter. What really mattered was IIyase. IIyase, who was standing on a plank dangerously close to the edge, just hovering over the very same black hole he heard so many stories about. He didn't even have time to even marvel the fact he was outside the penitentiary. Something he never thought would ever happen. All of his thoughts were on her. His goddess.

IIyase's tear stained face hit him hard. She began backing away, staring down at the darkness with wide red eyes, only to be stopped by guards who pointed spears at her back. She began shaking her head exaggeratedly, face completely white, and she opened her mouth. Raltz was too far away to hear her, but it didn't take him long to realize she was pleading. Pleading for her life. The guards just pushed her forward.

"Be ready." Lefaghy whispered at his side. His face appearing in his peripheral vision. Raltz gripped his weapon – a gun, type 42 plasma oasis rifle – tightly in his fists, and nodded. He needed to focus. Focus on the mission. All he needed to do was get to IIyase then get her to safety. That's all he needed to focus on. IIyase needed to be safe. Kaurd would be pissed if he didn't do at least that first.

"Good." Lefaghy stated grimly, and turned his head towards the others. "We wait until we get the signal then we attack. Until then, we wait. We stay hidden, no matter what." There were grunts of agreement behind him. It was only a small infantry, the rest of the rebels were spread through out the palace. Raltz could only recognize a few. Most were unknown to him from different sections of the penitentiary. He knew Lefaghy kept in close contact with the other sections he jus didn't realize how close. _They really were about to start a rebellion._ And he was a part of it.

In the courtyard there was a sudden change in the atmosphere and everything went tense. The King of the Chula's walked out into the open, carrying himself poised and graceful. It was the first time Raltz had ever seen a Chula's face, and it would definitely be something he would not ever forget. The Chula were by far the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Second to IIyase of course. They were everything IIyase had said they were: short stature, circular heads, and large expressive eyes. Behind the blue King, two people followed, clinging onto each other. They held onto each other like they were afraid of letting go. Both looked similar in every way except in gender. Both had pale white skin, bright glowing orange eyes, and beauty beyond imagination - they had to be siblings.

"Hear me." Demanded the king, his jaw set, red eyes narrowed. "Hear me now when I say enough. Enough sitting idle will our planet is being polluted from the inside. Enough allowing these humans to take whatever they want. To poison our society with their customs, their politics, and their seed." Qybyrk paused and his eyes drifted downward settling on the human Jacob. His frown deepened further. "For millennials, we have hid our greatest mistake underground where light would not dare touch it. There we have allowed it to fester, to corrode our great planet. To this I say, enough!" He raised his hands towards the heavens, and the crowd erupted in cheer. Their voices shook the very ground they were standing on.

"Boss." Someone muttered from behind, his voice deep and burly. "I've got a clear shot. Let me take this bastard out."

Raltz whipped his head around and glowered. "No! They're still innocents out there!" Lefaghy placed a hand on his shoulder in order to calm the young hybrid.

"Raltz." Lefaghy warned before angling his head towards the rebel hybrid.

"Boss?" the rebel questioned his gaze focused through the scope of his gun. "Let me -."

"No!" Raltz whispered harshly, raising himself higher. "IIyase is still-."

"Enough!" the leader of the rebellion growled. "We will wait to till the signal." Raltz immediately, relaxed sinking back to the ground, glancing at Lefaghy with a look of appreciation. The rebel frowned at his leader, giving him a disgruntled glance, before settling his focus back through the scope. Raltz turned back towards the courtyard and listened to the king who had continued with his speech unknowing of his almost immediate demise.

"Standing before you is the sin of the chula. The stain of Chuponia V." He gestured to the fourteen people standing. Each on individual planks, just barely on the edge, leaning close to Akmehn. One was IIyase, who was one her knees holding onto the plank with what looked like a death grip. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was moving so fast he couldn't decipher the words she was saying. She looked as though she was praying. He had an inkling in the back of his brain. He had heard something, long ago, that IIyase was terrified of heights. A _phobia_ she had once called it. Another was Kaurd, who stood still, back straight, staring defiantly at his chula guard. His face bruised, and his arm was in a sling, but other than that he looked no worse for wear. Raltz let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. _They're okay. They're okay for now._

Jedia and Eehx stood at opposite ends of Akhmen's heart. Jedia looked unharmed while Eehx looked like he had seen better days. Dark circles were under his eyes, and he seemed to have lost some weight. The two held each others' gaze unwilling or unable to look away. Raltz wasn't sure.

Jacob, the human. Raltz tightened his hold on his weapon. Jacob was staring up at the king with a melancholy expression. His gaze drifted over to the siblings both who were staring at him intensely. They seemed to be having a silent conversation between them with only their eyes. The male sibling wailed and buried his head in the crook of his sister's shoulder who stared on forward. Seeing but not seeing.

"The human invaders and the inbreeds who call themselves _hybrids_." Qybyrk lips twitched like he was struggling not to laugh. "They have banded together in attempt to overthrow our great empire. They have spit at our generosity and threatened our peace with war."

"No!" Came a cry. "You don't understand." Raltz looked down to IIyase staring up at the king with tears in her eyes, and a look of pleading. "There needs be no war! Just talk...please just talk!"

"Silence!" demanded Qybyrk and he raised his top left arm. The chula guard in front of IIyase stomped on the plank and the human woman bounced. IIyase screamed as she fell flat against the board clinging to it tightly. Raltz rose to his feet, his gun clenched tightly in his hand, but before he could take a step Lefaghy pulled him down.

"Calm yourself." He hissed.

Raltz glared. "IIyase is-."

"Is fine!" Lefaghy tsk'd. "Look!"

Raltz swung his head back towards the scene, and saw IIyase had not fallen - she was only startled and very scared.

_IIyase_

"Under my decree and law, I declare you terrorists against the empire. For withholding illegal weaponry, planning an insurgent, and conspiring against your betters." The chula's red eyes went cold. "The only punishment fitting for such acts is _exile_." The crowd went up into a frenzy. Roaring and yelling in excitement. It was sick.

"Let us begin!" He clapped, and turn around bypassing the siblings without even glance. The proctor walked toward the edge of courtyard just ending before Akmehn began.

The helmeted chula began to read from the pad he held in his hands. "Under the decree of -."

"Boss." A rebel grounded out, his hand shaking around his gun. "Let me take the shot."

Lefaghy shook his head, his face grim. "No, we wait for the signal."

"Boss.."

So they watched on as their friends fell to their deaths. The chula with their intimating spears stalked forwards towards their skittish prey. Most stumbled backwards trying to get away until their was nothing beneath their feet. A few stood their ground and waited for their pursuer to be upon them. They were stabbed brutally and pushed off. One chula wouldn't let them have their satisfaction of either.

Before his guard could even begin his pursuit, the hybrid lifted his hand and gave a rude gesture towards the palace and its majesties.

"I will not die by someone else hands nor will I die afraid!" He cried out in defiance, and then leapt from his plank on his own free will. His laughter as he fell into the black heart would haunt Raltz for many nights.

"Under the decree of his Majesty Qybyrk: for the act of terrorism against the empire, the one named _Eexh_ will be sentenced to exile by Akmehn's heart where he shall forever walk until the end of time." The proctor announced as he came to stop in front of the old hybrid.

Jedia and Eehx had not broken their gaze until this time. Eehx looked away to stare at his guard who began to stalk forward as soon as the proctor had finished. Raltz could see the unadulterated fear cross the old hybrid's face before he turned back towards his wife.

"Jedia!" He called and reached out a hand. She reached out her own while the others covered her tear stained face. "Thank you!"

Jedia's voice was so full of tears, Raltz could barely understand her. "For what?"

"Everything." He grinned, but it was shaky and forced. He saw the guard raise his staff, and Eehx stand his ground never breaking eye contact with his wife. Then Raltz closed his own eyes, and was unable to watch anymore. He covered his ears as IIyase's scream broke everything inside him.

"Lefaghy." He whimpered, his head bowed. "Please."

But the leader of the rebellion was silent.

"Under the decree of his Majesty Qybyrk: for the act of terrorism against the empire, the one named _May_ " _IIyase" Owens_ will be sentenced to exile by Akmehn's heart where she shall forever walk until the end of time."

Raltz's eyes snapped open. "IIyase!" She still clung to the plank like it was her lifeline, but her eyes were no longer closed, instead they stared frighten at her guard. She shook her head vigorously.

"Lefaghy!" He yelled no longer caring if his voice travelled. A few residential chula looked up. "Lefaghy! It's IIyase!" The leader of the rebellion was silent, his jaw was locked and his eyes were hard. He stared at the scene unwavering.

"Lefaghy!"

"We wait." He said thickly.

Raltz growled in frustration and terror. It felt like his heart was about to break it was beating so fast. "If you won't go-!" He stood, ready to take charge, and save the woman he loved most. As he took a step forward, he was pulled back by a strong force. Lefaghy face entered his vision. The shorter hybrid was angry and frustrated and...

"We will wait until the time is right!" He spat in the younger hybrid's face. "We cannot afford to lose-."

An explosion.

The courtyard, the palace, the very _air_ trembled as fire erupted from north-wing. Shouts of orders, and cries of surprise filled the grounds. Lefaghy lifted to his feet and took a step forward - gun held tightly in his hands.

"Attack!" He ordered. "Show them our resolve!" The rebels cried out and the sounds of gunfire exploded in Raltz's ears. Lefaghy hauled the younger hybrid to his feet as the rebels flew past them.

"Find IIyase. Get her to safety." Raltz stared into the deep purple eyes that held a certain harshness to them and nodded dumbly. Lefaghy smiled and gave the hybrid a pat on the shoulder before fleeing into the carnage.

Raltz stared momentarily dumbfounded before shaking it off and stared forward with a look of resolution.

"IIyase. Kaurd."

...

..

* * *

..

...

May was lost.

The fear had blinded her, and the explosion frazzled her. The current nearly knocked her off causing May to claw at the wood and her thighs to clench tightly. If the fall didn't kill her, then the terror surely would. Oh, all she wanted to do was go home. Home to her books. Home to her universe. This was scary. So scary. _Don't fall. Don't let go! Please. Please._

Someone save her.

When hands began to grab at her, May screamed. She screamed and pushed at the stranger, but the plank began to bounce and May froze. She heard no sound with the blood pumping through her veins. All she could hear was the _swoosh swoosh_ of her blood, and _ba-bump ba-bump_ of her frantic beating heart.

"I...Eggs...stop...go.." She could barely make out the words that were spoken to her. Hands began grab at her again, this time trying to grasp at her waist. She began to fight.

"Eggs...me...Legs!" May paused at the familiar nickname, and in that moment, it gave the phantasmal hands the time they needed to dislodge her from the board. May shrieked as she was lifted in the air, and placed on top of a shoulder. Her eyes flew open, and for a second all she could see was black. Swirling, moving, calling darkness of the black hole of Chuponia V. She freaked.

"Legs! Legs! Calm down! I've got you. If you don't stop squirming we will both fall." At the word 'fall' immediately May froze. She looked away from the darkness to the brunette head of her one and only Jack.

"Jack?" she whimpered feeling fresh tears of relief pool in her eyes.

He smirked. "That's my name...apparently."

She laughed, it was strained and slightly delirious, but she couldn't help it.

"You're pretty heavy." Jack huffed as he brought them to solid ground. May just laughed harder. To relieved to be offended. The captain lowered her so her feet touched the ground, but May refused to let go of her only lifeline. She wasn't feeling sane enough to let go yet.

"Alright." he remarked as he kept a hand around her shoulders, not bothered by her clinginess. "Lets get out of here."

"Where are we going to go?" someone spoke. May looked up to see Kaurd standing near them, eyes wide and alert - full of anxiety.

"Away." Jack replied. "Far away." There were footsteps coming towards them, and suddenly May was shoved behind Jack.

"IIyase!" Raltz's voice called. "Kaurd!"

May peaked over Jack's shoulder to see the young blue hybrid sprinting towards them. Carrying a _gun_. Uneasiness and something keen to rage pooled into May's stomach. _Why is Joekraltz's carrying such weapon? Why is he even here?_

"Raltz!" Kaurd shouted out in surprise and ran towards his friend. They met in the middle and wrapped their arms around each other. The cried out in joy as they hugged each other.

"What are you doing here?" Kaurd asked with a grin, and then his gaze fell to the weapon. "And what are you carrying?"

"I came to rescue you." He replied as he knocked foreheads with the other hybrid. "Someone had too." He lifted the gun in the air. "And I brought this as insurance." The two stepped back and Raltz looked over at the two humans.

"IIyase." He sighed her name with a look of pure relief.

May smiled, but it was strained. "Joekraltz."

His face turned dark blue and his gaze turned bashful, but he didn't look away like he usually would in her presence. "Are you okay?"

_No._ No, she wasn't. Nothing was going right. Everything was wrong. This was not how she planned it. The hybrids started a war that would end badly. So many people will die. And her student... _her adorable student_...was caring a gun used to kill. No, she was not _alright_.

"I'm fine." she lied with a smile, and she hoped she looked believable. Her two students nodded, but Jack's hold on her wrist seemed to tighten just ever so slightly.

"Okay, lets get going. The rebellion has a safe house inside the city." Raltz said as he swung his gun over his shoulder. "Lets go before we attract attention to ourselves."

Jack nodded. " 'Kay, kid. We will follow you." Raltz looked up at the human with an expression of gratitude. He even stood a little taller. May was not please by any of it. _This was wrong. Wrong. Wrong._

_"_ Stop!" Someone cried out. "Jacob!"

Jack swung his heard around, and everyone else froze. Out from the smoke came five figures, all small statured. The person in the front was not in uniform, but dressed in expensive silks and jewelry. He was male with skin of pure white snow and extremely beautiful. His orange eyes were wet with tears, and all four of his hands went to cover his mouth to stifle a cry.

"Jacob!"

Jack swallowed thickly. "Pupaq?" The chula raised his hands and stepped forward.

"Stop!" shouted Raltz as he raised his gun, pointing it at the unarmed chula. The chula's guard went into immediate action raising their own weapons stepping in front of the white male.

"You stop!" Jack yelled as he pushed the nose of the gun away. "He is a...friend." The white chula pushed his way threw his guards and ran towards Jack before jumping into his arms.

"My love." Pupaq shouted burying his face in Jack's chest.

"My..." Jack chuckled as his own arms wrapped around the chula voluntarily. "Where is your sister? How can I enjoy the presence of one without the other?"

"Viefua could not escape the watchful eye of her husband and her guards." the white chula answered wiping his tears. "I was lucky enough to be provided with guards sympathetic to the hybrid's cause and managed to flee. This is temporary though." He reached up and cradled Jack's cheek. "He will come looking for me once he realize I am not at my post. I came only to help set you free."

"And what about you?" Jack inquired as he took the other's hand in his own. "You and Viefua?"

Pupaq smiled softly, adoration apparent in his gaze. "Knowing you out there free is enough for us." Jack's own smile was small and sad. He pressed his lips to the other male's in a chaste kiss full of emotion. May had to look away, because it suddenly felt she was invading on something private.

"Well, lets get going!" Raltz interrupted impatient. "We can't stand here much longer. We are sitting Zygots."

Pupaq pulled back from the kiss and nuzzled the captain's cheek. "Come. We have prepared a ship for you."

"A ship?" Repeated Jack with raised brows. "I do like ships." Pupaq giggled. So the white chula pulled Jack forward who in return pulled May.

"Wait!" Raltz cried in distress. "Lefaghy said..."

Kaurd clapped him on the back, grinning madly. "Lets go!" Raltz stuttered watching them all leave before sighing in defeat, and trudged after them begrudgingly.

Pupaq led the way with the four guards guarding their sides, and Raltz at the rear. Jack made sure May was behind him at all times with Kaurd at her back. When there were shots fired, Jack would pull Pupaq down and the young hybrid would gather May in his arms and pull her close. They walked for what seemed like hours, but in reality had probably been only minutes.

May was so hyped up on adrenaline and anxiety that she jumped at any small sound. She made small mewling noises at the sounds of fighting and groans of the injured. May nearly broke when they crossed their first body. She began hyperventilating so bad that Jack had to hold her in his arms for her body refused to move. _This wasn't real. Not real. No. No. Please, not Chantho!_

"Breathe, IIyase." Jack consoled. "You've got to breathe. We're almost there."

May nodded, though she understood little of what he just said. Just hearing his voice helped. Kept her sane. Kept her stationed. She felt like everything inside her was being torn apart. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.

"Are you alright, IIyase?" Came a voice from beside her. Startled, May looked up to see one the guards looking in her direction. She eyes scanned over him for a second: taking in his uniform, his body build, the medals pinned to his chest.

"K-Kel'um?" she asked hesitantly eyeing the chula up and down.

The guard captain sighed. "I told you to stay out of this. What a mess." May couldn't help the shy smile that formed on her lips.

"You're a h-hybrid sympathizer?" she questioned with awe in her voice. She couldn't believe it. Her captain.

"I wasn't always." He grumbled sourly before cursing and rubbing the back of his helmet. "But shit happens."

"Kel'um." May sang is name cheerfully, unable to repress the raw delight in her expression. The chula captain huffed and walked away.

"We are here." Pupaq explained as they entered an open wing. Jack let May down, and Kaurd and Ratlz took his place at her side.

Inside were at least a dozen ships docked. All were dark and latched to the ground except for one. A ship on the strip, with it ramp wide open, and the soft purring sound of the engines. The ship was not the biggest in the wing, but it was big enough to make May and the hybrids' jaws drop. It was silver in color with wings long and elegant, and a nose which was rounded and not pointed like some others. She was beautiful.

_And familiar._ The thought surfaced through her awe. _I feel like I've seen this ship before._ Which was ridiculous, she had never seen an alien ship in her life. Except the Tar-

Jack whistled. "A beauty."

"We've packed everything you need for being off planet, my love. The supplies will last at least two years if you ration." Pupaq explained as he held onto Jack's hand. "Do you know how to fly?"

"Babe." Jack grinned and winked at the short statured man. "I'm offended you even asked."

Pupaq cheeks darkened to a gray and then he chuckled. "Then this is where I leave you."

Jack grinned fell, and looked down at their intertwined hands. "It's been a pleasure." He raised the chula's hand and kissed the top of it.

"No." Pupaq denied shaking head, raising his other hand to cup the captain's cheek. "It's been ours."

They took a moment to stare at each other, deeply, communicating some unknown conversation through only their eyes. Surprising, it was Pupaq who pulled away first and it was Jack who seemed almost unwilling to let go. The white chula shrank back with tears of sorrow rolling down his face. The guards surrounded him efficiently blocking him from view.

Jack turned towards May. "Well, you coming?"

Her heart stuttered in her chest. "W-what?"

"I said are you coming?" Jack grinned boyishly but it looked a little lack luster. "I don't believe our story ends just yet, Legs. Besides, I told you I would get you out of here."

"I-I-I." May stuttered unsure of what to say. Leave? Leave Chuponia V? She had been on this planet almost four years now. She couldn't leave...it was...her home. The entire planet was at war with each other. She couldn't abandoned it now. It was partially her fault that all this happened. If she hadn't told Lefaghy and the Elders about the dairies then maybe...

"You should go." A voice spoke up. May twirled around and met the steady gaze of Raltz.

Kaurd tugged on his friend's sleeve. Looking more shocked than her. "Raltz, do you know what you are saying?"

His friend shrugged him off. "You should go...it's not safe here now...and I..." Raltz pressed a hand against his eye, sadness breaking into his expression. "I think I get why Lefaghy told me to tell you this now."

"W-what?" Her voice cracking. What was going on? Why was he doing this?

"He told me...told me to tell you..." He shook his head as his chest heaved heavily and a sob broke out. "He told me to tell you..." He looked up tears streaming down his face, but his smile was large and genuine. "Not to forget to live. Not to forget your promise."

..

May broke. Waves of emotions entered her body like a tidal wave, and suddenly she couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet. _Stupid stupid hybrid. Stupid Lefaghy. So stupid...stupid idiot._ He wasn't even here and he still made her so mad. He couldn't even be bothered to tell her to her face. The big stupid _stupid_ prideful idiot.

"Y-you tell him..." May hiccupped as a sob broke out in her chest. "You tell him, I-I always knew. I knew...knew...and I still b-believed. I-I still d-do."

Raltz nodded through the tears of his own. His grip tight around the gun.

"Y-you tell him that." She demanded, pointing at him. "'kay?"

"Y-yes, IIyase. I promise."

Jack pulled May's wrist and tugged her towards the ship. She followed blindly, unable to see through her tears. _Not fair. Stupid...so stupid._ As the two climbed the ramp, May paused and pulled her hand free. She turned away, and stared determinedly at the two of her students. Her beloved students.

"Come with me." She commanded and held out her hand. "Let's go."

The two stared at her with wide amazed eyes. They were bright and still oh so innocent. Something May was determined to protect. Kaurd was the first to break from her, and he shook his head.

"I can't...the others...I can't leave them alone." He paused, his jaw clenched. "Beside this is our planet..."

Raltz walked forwards staring at May with almost an hypnotized look. He looked at her so intensely, it had May feeling self conscious. She felt her face turn hot. The young hybrid held out his own hands to her, and May felt her heart jump with hope. _One...just one...if I could save just one...then I..._

When Raltz took her hand in his own, May's heart stuttered to a stop. He stared at her hand like it was the most precious thing he had ever seen. His fingers ran over her skin, the lines on her palms, and the tips of her fingers. Everything - down to the last cuticle.

"You taught us to fight for what we believe in." Raltz mumbled, and May blinked. _W-w-what?_ Raltz leaned down and place a kiss on the top of her hand. May's heart skyrocketed.

Raltz gazed up with the most intense look she had ever seen in his eyes. The orange in his eyes darkening to an almost rusty brown.

"I choose to believe in you."

The hyrid nodded towards Jack who in return grasped May by the waist and lifted her over his shoulders. May began to scream.

"No! No! No! Don't do this!" She cried, her heart breaking. "Let me go, Jack! I'm staying!"

May watched as the door closed in front of her face powerless stop it. Powerless to stop anything. The last thing she saw of the two hybrids was Kaurd's saddened expression and the stiff back of Raltz as he walked away.

May fell into an uneasy sleep that night with tears stained on her cheeks, her fingers bruised and bloodied, and the pinch of a needle in her skin.

...

..

* * *

..

...

**_Year 5847, Planet Paigeo_ **

**_Fer'Hhen Estate; Turnip Capital, Yriashex_ **

When she smiled, it was like the entire room lit up. She was still dazzling even after all these years.

"It's been a while since anyone has called me that." IIyase replied finally, her face flushed bright red. She looked down, shuffling nervously, then back down at him. Her eyes were wavering, and she was gnawing on her lip unassured. "A long time."

"IIyase, how?" Raltz asked amazed as he stared at her. She was completely unchanged. It was like the years had not once touched her. Her hair was longer than he remembered. Cascading over her shoulders in straight waves and curling in at the ends. Her hazel eyes were warm in color, almost a honey brown, not quite gold. They looked him over affectionately and unbiased, but at the same time, they had Raltz embarrassed. He felt like a teenager again, nothing like the war veteran he was now.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." She laughed as she strolled closer tugging on bottom of her violet dress. She walked carefully, swaying slightly, as if she wasn't used to walking in her shoes. Raltz glanced down and noticed the black heels on her feet giving her at least an inch in height. IIyase in heels…what a sight.

"Would you lie?" He felt silly for even asking, but he learned long ago it was better to ask questions even if he got silly answers. He held out a hand to her as she neared.

"No." she grinned, eyes sparkling. "Though lying would be easier." Her hand was soft and warm as she fit it in his old calloused one. Her hand closed around his and gave it a tight squeeze. With her other hand, IIyase touched the side of his face, giving it a gentle crease as her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

"Raltz." She whispered his name with the barest of smiles before her gaze drifted down. "Your hands." Raltz didn't bother looking down. He already knew. He had no feeling in his upper left hand ever since the Lightening Tower Disaster of T-97. His pinky and ring finger were completely gone. He completely lost his lower right hand from the wrist down after it had been crushed under a fallen stone pillar at the Temple of Kneobh.

He was a cripple.

IIyase's face scrunched together as she fought the feelings of both horror and terror. "Your legs." Ratlz smiled but it held no warmth. He had lost both his legs: one from the knee down and the other mid-calf. Both had to be amputated due to infection from a wound caused by a malfunctioning landmine. He had been ill for months, and rehab took longer.

She looked up again, her thumb running across his cheek. "You've grown, Raltz."

The old general busted out in laughter. It felt good to laugh. "Old, you mean. I've gotten old, IIyase. How is that you're as young as the day I saw you off? How have you not perished?"

"It's a long story." She replied as she knelt before him resting her arm across his legs, but still, never letting go of his hand.

"It's a good thing we have time then."

IIyase raised her brows at him. "But the ceremony?"

"Bah!" Raltz scoffed as he shook his head. _Why was everyone so concerned about that?_ "Damn the ceremony."

"It's to celebrate your victory." She objected with a tone of disapproval.

Raltz snorted and rolled his eyes, but the grin never left. "You are far more important."

He swelled with pleasure as IIyase's cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment.

"You've definitely matured." IIyase growled narrowing her eyes, trying to act intimidating, but it was a lost cause with her flushed face. "But don't get cheeky. You're still just a little kid in my eyes."

"Ouch, IIyase." Raltz exclaimed with a look of hurt and he touched his chest. "Way to wound a young man's pride."

"I'm sure you will be fine." IIyase scoffed and shook her head, giving his hand a squeeze. "If the ceremony is delayed then so will be the party, and Donna won't be happy if that happens. The party was the whole reason we came here."

"Well then." Raltz chimed as he leaned forward, handing IIyase the small photograph he had held onto all these years. The same photograph he looked at when his days grew dark. The same photograph he used when he grew weary. "You better get started then."

IIyase gasped and reached out to grasp the old photo, but she hesitated. Her fingers twitched and her face scrunched together in worry. As if she was afraid it would fall apart at her touch. Then, with a look of resolve, she took the photo delicately. IIyase's expression crumbled and tears anew built in her eyes. She outlined the faces with her fingers, her expression whimsical - lost in memory. Her eyes began to turn red and slightly puffy around the edges - she began sniffing.

"Oh, Joekraltz." She whimpered and threw herself around the old hybrid. Raltz cheeks turned dark blue, but he could not stop the grin from spilling onto his face. "They're gone aren't they?"

Raltz smile dwindled, but it did not fully disappear. "Yes, Kaurd...Kaurd I'm sad to say, just pasted last night." IIyase gave a hiccup and more tears streamed from her face. "Only I and Blyph are alive." Her eyes gleamed with light, and her lips twitched into a small smile.

"Hiblyph?" She inquired with a hint of excitement. It had been so long since someone had said his name like that. "Is he here?"

"Yes he is here, the ugly bastard." He smirked thinking about that young hybrid who would always be bouncing around, talking exaggeratedly, and getting everyone in trouble. Though that was an equal effort. How that young hybrid was able to climb ranks eagerly along side them was a mystery for the universe. Third Class Sergeant Blyph had his notches, but he was still the same as ever. If not more sober. "He will most eager to see you at the ceremony."

"I missed him." IIyase mumbled touching the photo again. Raltz's heart warmed. "I missed all of you. What happened to the others?"

"Well." Raltz paused unsure were to start. These were not good memories he wanted to be thinking about, much less tell IIyase. "Vox married Lefaghy if you could believe it." By the widening of her eyes and the dropping of her jaw, IIyase didn't. "They had a daughter, Zvaxtra. She is the female guard that escorted you in."

May gasped. "Really? She is beautiful." She turned her head to look at the doors as if envisioning her standing there.

"Yes." Raltz nodded his heart squeezing pleasantly. "I raised her after...after...her parents..." Zvaxtra had been so small in her bundle of blankets. He had also never seen Vox so in love. The way her face brightened and all the lines on her face seemed to disappear. Vox loved Lefaghy whole heartedly, there was no denying that, but she _adored_ Zvaxtra. She was a vicious monster to anyone who dared threatened the life of her child. She couldn't even bear to be apart from her. So when she placed her in Raltz's arms, Lefaghy literally had to pry Vox away. The leader of the rebellion loved his wife and child, but he had duties. Vox wouldn't have love him any less. As the two departed on an envoy, Vox left with a promise of return and threat of retribution if any harm came to her child.

"I looked for them." Raltz confessed as he stared at their entwined hands. "For weeks, I looked for the wreckage, but I couldn't...I couldn't find..." IIyase squeezed his hand which gave him confidence to shake off his friends' ghosts. "Zul...Zul became a historian of all things. He became obsessed with saving all things chula and hybrid related. Said someone had to keep history from being muddled by fanatics." Raltz smiled. "I think he was influenced by you more than either of us thought. He became down right obsessed. He cried at the fall of Fauthusseo's temple. Whined for days about the lost relics." Raltz smile wilted. "He died of infection a couple decades ago. Got a nasty cut on the leg while saving a book about the Lost War. He died not regretting a thing." The bastard died with a smile on his face. Silence lapsed between them, IIyase's face was unreadable and Raltz was lost in the past.

"And Kaurd?" IIyase spoke up, her voice sounded heavy in sadness.

"Hmm?" Raltz hummed shaking the memories away. "Kaurd...Kaurd died of old age, the conniving bastard. Probably planned it too. Died so he didn't have to give a speech today." Tomorrow he would have to read the autopsy report. Him dying so soon after the war was too much a coincidence. Something just didn't sit right with Raltz.

"Oh." IIyase mumbled, attempting to wipe the tears, but they continued to flow down her face like little rivers.

"Come now, IIyase. No more tears. No more of talk of sad things." He chided as he patted her back. "Now tell me a story. Like you used too."

IIyase laughed - it was a real laugh - not forced. Something that came from deep inside when someone was truly happy. Raltz beamed proudly. IIyase began wiping her tears with the back of her hand, a large grin on plastered her face. "Only you would consider history just a story."

"Isn't it?" He questioned looking genuinely confused as he raised brows.

She shook her head in disbelief while chuckling. "Oh dear, some things just never change." IIyase then looked up at him - absolutely beaming. "Okay, where do I start?"

"From the beginning." Raltz replied as he sat his only other usable hand over hers, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Just start there, IIyase."

…

...

...

..

.

..

…

...

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here come the water works~
> 
> This is goodbye, but it won't be forever, I promise. *sniff* I'm going to make a couple short stories in the extras on the chula and the hybrids. More Joekraltz and the others. I have a little one-shot idea about May and Steotue and their 'interview'. It will be in Steotue's prov and his opinion about our heroine. I think it would be very informative. I also have an idea about May and Lefaghy: how they met and how Lefaghy came to give May her name. Then more little things about the Five Fiends. If anyone is interested that is :3
> 
> I've had a couple complaints on how long my chapters are, not too many, but I feel like I should explain myself. I could make my chapters shorter and cut them down, but it all comes down to is...I plain don't want too. I like making long chapters and I enjoy reading long chapters. If its a short chapter I'm reading I just feel like I'm being gypped out and I don't want you guys to feel that way. I'm not going to lie, these last few chapters have been a doozy. They are long. I most definitely could have spanned it out to three or four more chapters. But if I did that...then getting to the Doctor would have taken forever. I hope since I'm going to be working on canon episodes the chapters won't be as long any more. I kind go a little crazy when it come to originals apparently. Forgive me?
> 
> Well, I hope everyone has accepted May's many piercings. I promise there is some meaning to everything she does and why she does it. Though, you learning why will probably be a long time from now. It most definitely will not be any time soon. Though I would love to hear your opinions:
> 
> Why do you think May flipped her lid in the interrogation with Steotue?
> 
> I'm excited to hear your answers~! Or anything you say really! Please review! It will motivate me faster to get to writing Empty Child!
> 
> Kait
> 
> p.s.
> 
> Down below I spelled out the pronunciation of all my OCs names. I hate reading character names, and not knowing how to sound it out. Hope it's helpful to anyone who is interested. Also I have the age groups of the Chula comparing them to human lifespans.
> 
> ~Names~
> 
> IIyase: I - ease
> 
> Joekraltz: Joke - Ralts
> 
> Kuard: Card
> 
> Hiblyph: Hi - Bleh - If
> 
> Knovokx: No - Vox
> 
> Zul'ie: Zool - Ee
> 
> Lefaghy: Left - I - E
> 
> Kel'um: Kill - em
> 
> Eehx: X
> 
> Jedia: Jed - I - ah
> 
> Kri: Kah - Re
> 
> Steotue: Sto - two - oh
> 
> Viefua: V - foo - ah
> 
> Qybyrk: Ca - way - yah - brick
> 
> Zvaxtra: Z - Vax -trah
> 
> Hreimatop: Her - Emma - Tope
> 
> Akmehn: Aahck - men
> 
> Fauthusseo: Faith - sue - oh
> 
> II'yll: I - E
> 
> Kneobh: Noob
> 
> Pupaq: Poo - puck
> 
> ~Lifespan~
> 
> Species: Human [Chula]
> 
> Child: 5 - 12 [38 -74]
> 
> Teenager: 15 -20 [75 - 145]
> 
> Adult: 25 - 40 [150 - 295]
> 
> Middle Age: 50 - 70 [300 - 595]
> 
> Elder: 80 - 100 [600 - 900]
> 
> *Now cut the Chulas age by half to get the Hybrids lifespan


	6. DELETED SCENE:  Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because I feel everyone needs a little more Doctor in their life. This is not a "update update" just a little something extra I came up with. Set after chapter one and before chapter two. I wanted you all to get a preview into the Doctor's thoughts.

She was too pale. Too skinny.

_She's lost weight._

**His** May.

Well that was presumptuous of him, wasn't it? She wasn't _his_ exactly. Though, if one laid claim to a parasite living their body, feeding off of their life force, and disrupting their very livelihood. Then in that sense, yes, he did **own** her.

May had never been a tiny thing. Even sickly looking, there was still that soft roundness in her features. Standing at five foot nine, she was all curves with legs that could go for miles. Uh, according to Jack anyway. _He_ never noticed. N-not that he didn't notice she wasn't tall for a female. He just never noticed her _legs_. Except that she had two - like most humanoids.

Where was he going with this? Oh, yes. May had never been nor will be skinny. He was skinny. Really proper skinny. This body was made to be this way. Why? He didn't know. Regeneration was funny that way.

May was a glutton: for food, for punishment, for his anger - he could go on. May's body was made to hold her consumption. So her being so…emancipated, concerned him. Greatly. Once he got her back on the Tardis, he would make sure she was properly feed. Then he would run some tests just to make sure there were no long term effects. Starvation, even short term, had never been good for her species.

"Doctor?"

"Hm?" The Doctor hummed glancing down at Martha who walked close to his side.

"Is May alright?" She asked looking up him with concern. "There is something _off_ about her."

..

_Oh, Martha._

Martha. Martha. Martha Jones the Doctor. The great doctor Martha Jones. _And she would make a great doctor._ He mused with a small smile. Most definitely better than him. She cared deeply for her friends, family, and even strangers.

"There is something off about her." He agreed. What was it? What had happened to make her like this? His May was shy and timid yes, but she was never unsure of herself. She was stupidly courageous and irritatingly stubborn. This May….this May…was like _that_ May. The old May.

"What is it?" Martha asked tugging at his sleeves. "What is wrong with her? Should we get her back to the Tardis?"

_Yes._

"Oh, I'm sure she will be fine." He lied tsking while sticking his hands deep into his pockets. "She just needs time to adjust."

"Adjust?" She murmured confused, looking up at him those big human eyes. "Doctor, earlier you said she was the _first_. What did you mean by that?"

The Doctor didn't even blink.

"Oh look, people!" And he grabbed Martha's hand pulling her towards the crowd. He heard her huff in annoyance but didn't speak upon it. It wasn't like he was avoiding the question. Okay, never mind, he _was_ avoiding the question. That was because he wasn't quite sure of the answer himself. Oh, he had a theory. Actually he had thirteen. One involved a pirate, a mayan curse, and ten radioactive vampire monkeys from the planet Poe. Then again, it could all be _her_ doing. There was a seventy-six percent chance of that, but she didn't seem the type to be able to hold this façade for long. Or the type to be coddled. She would have broken by now. So twenty-two percent.

Just what was _wrong_ with May?

"It looks like a refugee camp." He heard Martha exclaim. When he angled his head toward her, she was frowning. Her eyebrows pulling together to make her worry-lines more prominent. Her doctor senses were tingling.

"Stinking." Jack mumbled as he pushed through the crowd. He cradled May carefully against his chest making sure to maneuver her away when someone came close. Making sure no one touched her and she touched no one. May didn't seem bothered, instead she focused on the broth she held close. She stirred it a couple times, brow raised in question at the thickness and bland coloring, but still she sipped at anyway. She hadn't once looked at her surroundings, and if she had, it had been quick glances. It was like she was determined to ignore everything around her.

_Well, that wouldn't do._ He did so hate to be ignored.

"Don't you see that?" He shouted exuberantly. A grin so wide it almost hurt. "The ripe old smell of humans." He bumped against Martha who looked up at with indignation and snorted. _But there was a smile._ "You survived! Oh, you might have spent a million years evolving into clouds of gas, and another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape." He turned and spied her staring at him – his May. She was listening, absorbing his words like a sponge. Eyes so big and wide like a curious child. He winked at her. "The fundamental humans." A dainty rose color flushed across her nose, over her cheeks, and down her neck. May quickly averted her gaze and stared intently back at her broth - like it the most interesting thing in the world. His smile fell, feeling a bit crestfallen, but he quickly shook it off.

"End of the universe and here you are!" he laughed, but it felt a bit hollow. "Indomitable. That's the word!" He swung and arm around Martha who looked up at him with brows raised high. As if questioning his strange mood (or sanity) "Indomitable! Ha!"

If this really was the first time May was meeting him, which made absolutely no sense, then…well, he would just have to test her to find out, wouldn't he?

The human tagalong, [Pedro? Popeye? Polo?], had found his family after what seemed like hours of endless corridors and stairs. Martha was so overjoyed by the fact she became preoccupied with her human sentimentality. Jack, however became distracted by a blonde with a shy smile and strong psyche. The Doctor watched as he sat May down on a lone crate left unoccupied in the overcrowded hallway and swan off with a spring in his step. The Doctor raised a brow before he shook his head. _He could do so much better._ The human boy that is.

He turned his attention towards May who sat alone in the corner looking out of place. She held the now-empty-bowl awkwardly in her hands. Her fingers drumming against the sides in nervous habit. Standing a little straighter, he placed his hands in pockets and walked over.

"Better?"

He would have laughed, no…wrong. He _did_ laugh. The way May's eyes went wide as Jupiter and how she nearly fell off her crate because she was startled it was hilarious. She always did have the most interesting reaction when in his presence. Then again, that was to be expected.

"W-wh-what?" She squeaked leaning back till her head hit the wall behind.

"I said, are you better?" He repeated as he fished for his screwdriver.

Color flushed from her cheeks down to her neck. "Y-yes. Thank you."

_Oh? What is this?_ He thought curiosity spiking. A locked door. There was a locked door just inches away from where May was perched on left. What does one do when they find a locked door? _Well, open it of course._

"Don't thank me." The Doctor replied as he pulled his sonic out. He pointed it at the closed metal door and began scanning. "I haven't done anything."

"No, of course. No, wait. I-I mean…" She stuttered nervously, eyes flickering between him and the bowl. "S-sorry."

He studied the keypad connected with the door with a frown. _Ugh, you could cut the tension with a butter knife._ And that stutter. _It had to go._ It was very unbecoming of **his** May.

"So, um, D-Doctor?"

"Hm?" He narrowed his eyes. Deadlocked, really? _No, half deadlocked._ Who just _half_ deadlocks a door?

"What am I-I doing here?"

The Doctor paused his sonic to turn to look at the woman staring at him uneasily, but also with something he wasn't used to seeing. _Trust_. The Doctor didn't remember ever seeing that look in May's eyes. **His** May's eyes. Well, he couldn't say that. They had to have some trust in each other since they lived together for so long now. They had a partnership. A contract. They trusted each other to uphold the rules each had set for the other. So to see true genuine unbiased trust - it was flattering.

Still, her question startled him because it was so broad. There were so many answers he could give her depending on her meaning. Some were half-truths at best. Though, the Doctor was pretty sure he knew what question she really meant to ask.

"Well." He lowered the sonic before shuffling it to his left hand. "That is a question only you can answer."

"I-I don't understand."

_Oh, wasn't that irony at its best._ She never understood. Never. That woman had no conscious. Always jumping in without thinking of the consequence first. Consequence that may get someone or _herself_ killed! She just never did think!

"What was it this time?" He snapped, glaring at her. "Time Warp? A rift manipulator?"

"What?" She exclaimed in confusion taken back. She looked up at him with a look of hurt crossing her face. The Doctor faltered feeling momentarily ashamed for his misplaced anger. If she was younger, like his theory, then this May has no clue what he was talking about. If, though…only if.

_Pause that. Door first._ He was becoming increasingly curious about this place _._ Who keeps a door locked when the universe is ending? What is there to hide?

"Oi, Jack! Stop it!" He growled at the captain who was straying from proper social etiquette with the tall refugee. "Give us a hand with this." He pound a fist against the wall of the panel causing May to jump again. This time his lip didn't even twitch upward. "It's half deadlocked." The doctor stood in front of the door again aiming his sonic. If he could possibly disrupt the frequency then maybe he could break through.

Jack left his eye candy with a reluctant sigh and a crease of farewell before sauntering to the Doctor. As he came in front of the keypad he turned to look at May and gave her a wink.

"How are you holding up, Legs? Doc hasn't given you any problems has he?"

Martha came to her side, and before she could answer, placed a hand on her shoulder. "No more than usual I'm sure."

The Doctor scoffed still sonicing. Bothering her? If anything it should be the exact opposite. He was the one always worried that she would change the space time continuum with her brand of heroics.

"I need you to overwrite the code, Jack." He continued ignoring them both. Jack rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, causing Martha to giggle and May to smile. It was small and slightly forced, but it was enough for the captain too glow happily. He then turned his attention reluctantly to the keypad ignoring the Doctor's glare in response. When the door shuddered underneath his sonic the Doctor couldn't help the please look that passed over his features.

"Let's find out where we are."

He took a step forward when the door opened, and immediately felt nothing beneath his feet. Just complete empty space. He yelped and swung to the side grasping at the wall. He felt two pairs of hands grab at his shoulders and another latch onto his leg. Instantaneously he felt every muscle in his leg clench in reaction. Every hair on his body stood on end. His hearts squeezed painfully in his chest. He angled his head back to peer back inside at May. Who stared at him wide-eyed, hands slowly moving back to her lap, the bowl now forgotten on the floor. He stared harder.

"Thanks." The Doctor said sincerely before turning his head back around towards the spectacle – missing the nod he received in return.

"How did you cope without me?" Jack remarked cheekily, patting the Doctor's shoulder before letting out a low whistle in appreciation.

"Now that-." Martha grinned as she leaned closer. "-is a rocket."

It was amazing. More than amazing. Beautiful. The coloring. The body. The predexadot metal. The hum of the trexadime propellers. It made his old hearts ache.

_And she is just sitting there._

Not seeing. Not doing **_anything_.** It was frustrating. Irritating and…and… _and maybe a good thing…_

The Doctor eyes widened, clicking his tongue against his teeth. "There not refugees, they're passengers. The lot of them."

"He said they were going to Utopia." Martha stated off-handedly, brows raised.

_U – top – ia. That explains it._

"The perfect place." He mumbled, eyes roaming over the spacecraft. "Hundred trillion years, same old dream." What was that smell? _Vanillia? Why would the gas fumes smell like_ vanilla?

..

.

_Rose would have loved this._

_._

_.._

The sonic, still in his left hand behind his back, vibrated ever so slightly.

The Doctor blinked. "You recognize those engines?" He brought the sonic back to his front and discreetly placed it in his breast pocket.

"Nope." Jack replied almost immediately. "Whatever it is, it's not rocket science." He sighed almost dreamily. "But it's hot, though."

The Doctor expression turned thoughtful and he quirked his eyebrows. "Boiling." The three pulled away and the door closed in front of them. Jack walked around them and came back to May's side. May, in the time they had been distracted, had sunk into herself. Her shoulders were hunched, eyes downcast, and expression far off. She looked so sad and… _pathetic_. Jack stroked the side of her face gaining her attention. He smiled that award-winning-smile down at her. The muscles around the Doctor's face twitched in annoyance.

"But if the universe is falling apart." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "What does utopia mean?"

Before anyone could answer or he could _think_ of an answer a human man came running at them from behind. An old man christened with white hair and bright blue intelligent eyes. He was sharply dressed in expensive but obviously worn clothing. He also smelled of engine oil, and strangely, cinnamon rolls. He looked ecstatic and nervous as he stood between them. Looking between him and Jack (who held May's hand in his own).

"Doctor?" the old man questioned pointing at Jack. The captain snickered, wiggling his brows mockingly, before pointing towards the Doctor who raised his hand.

"That's me." He shot a quick glare in the captain direction. Jack winked, grinning cheekily while his thumb rubbed comforting circles on the top of May's hand. The Doctor huffed.

The old man swung back around, and grinned broadly while grasping the Doctor's hand. The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise.

"Good! Good!" He tugged the Doctor hurriedly down the hall. "Good. Good. Good. Good."

The Doctor chuckled turning his head back towards his companions sneaking a hand into his breast pocket. Martha was following close behind, used to being dragged off without a moment's notice, but still had a perplexed look on her face. Jack was not much farther, having paused to pick up May, who was scowling and hitting his chest. The captain was laughing at the woman's poor attempts to force him to put her down. Instead, he held her closer. The Doctor's mirth quickly dissipated.

"Apparently it's good." He called back to them, his tone jovial and expression excited, but his eyes were smoldering. The Doctor turned back around and quickly glanced at his sonic screw driver.

What most people don't know is that sonic actually had a volume control. He was just… _fond_ of the noise it makes. It would be boring if he just took it out and pointed. Waved it around a little. How would anyone know he was doing something impressive? He was nearly a thousand years old for goodness sakes, he deserved at least a _little_ recognition.

He had installed around the time of his third regeneration. Never knew when he might run into a nin-jha Fissh again. A species born with no eyes, but their hearing was phenomenal with reflexes just as sharp. They were the embodiment of a human's ideal ninja. The Doctor barely escaped with all his toes intact.

He honestly hadn't used the setting in a couple decades, but it was useful when he didn't want someone to know what he was doing. _Like right now._

According to the scan, May… _this_ May…was young. Younger then even when he had first met her all those years ago. Which he scarcely believed possible, yet at the same time, it made complete sense. He know understood why May… **his** May…didn't want to come along on this adventure. Why she venomously refused. It had caused an argument between them, which wasn't that surprising because they were always arguing. It now made sense, and suddenly the Doctor felt a bit guilty for the way he had acted. He had thought the worse…he always thought the worse when it came to her. He couldn't help it. She always caused so much trouble for him. He was always worrying. Always afraid.

She was too risky. Too impulsive. Too…too **much**!

_But now._ He glanced over his shoulder to stare at the woman in Jack's arms. A young, _impressionable_ woman. A woman who _trusted_ him. Maybe he could help her, mold her, into becoming more compliant. Cut her down before she grows roots. Before his words could no longer reach her. He wouldn't be changing her _exactly_ …just giving her a new perspective. Time _could_ be rewritten.

"Very good. Excellent. Molto bene." He grinned and winked at Martha who grinned back - clueless.

It can be rewritten, just not by her, never by her. He wouldn't allow it because it would be his fault if she did something reckless ( _impulsive, stupid, idiotic_ ), and got herself **killed**. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself, not even after a thousand years, if something happened.

He couldn't.

He wouldn't.

**It won't.**

..

_So~_

..

_Where to begin?_

...

...

...

..

.

..

...

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confused? Good! That is exactly how I wanted you to feel!
> 
> Remember the Doctor is three seasons in. With May, we are only at the beginning of season one. We have a loooong way to go before we will truly understand this situation. I want you guys to only know May's perspective of things. Feel what she feels. See what she sees. Know what see knows. Etc.
> 
> The reason I did this with the Doctor is because I felt like he needed to explain himself a little bit. I got a few people upset because they felt like the Doctor was being unreasonable to May in chapter one and two, and I totally agree! He was being an asshole! Yeesh!
> 
> But! There is a reason for everything, and hopefully you will all stick with me in order to find out that reason! Any volunteers?
> 
> Kait
> 
> p.s.
> 
> The Doctor wasn't too OOC was he? What about Martha? Or Jack?


	7. Empty Child:  Promises are important to keep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little Jack and May before the Doctor

_May_

_.._

She opened her eyes and blinked slowly while taking in her surroundings. She was in a field of flowers, surrounded by pretty colors and wonderful smells, dressed in a beautiful long navy blue gown. The back of the gown fell at her feet but the front portion curtained at her mid-calf doing a peek-a-boo of her long legs. It was low cut, showing off her well-endowed chest and the subtle curve down to her waist. She had no sleeves, but thick straps that hung loosely just under her shoulders.

It was a dress for a princess.

Unable to help herself, she grabbed the sides of the dress and began to spin around the flowers laughing. It wasn't everyday she wore a dress (especially such an elegant one) preferring jeans or even capris. Though, every once in a while she got the urge to wear girlie things like dresses or skirts. Today was one of those days apparently.

Digging her toes into the soft ground she relished the way the warm grass tickled the bottom of her bare feet. Closing her eyes, she lifted her face in the direction of the sun and grinned. She twirled and twirled until the world began to spin and tip. May stumbled in her dance, and fell backwards into the soft embrace of the flora. She laughed, her heart racing in exhilaration. Opening her eyes, May turned onto her stomach uncaring if she creased or stained the gown. It was too much of a beautiful day to worry about such trivial things.

Eyeing a particular yellow poppy just inches from her face, May reached out and plucked it from the ground. Smiling, she twirled the dainty flower in her finger tips, admiring its simple beauty. Shutting her eyes again, May brought the flower close to her face and inhaled deeply.

_May_

_.._

"What?" May replied as she relaxed deeper into the ground, fully intending to enjoy the sun's warm light. As she settled, her mind began to lull off and her muscles loosened till they felt weightless, but it wasn't until she was almost in a complete catatonic state that she noticed something. She was on fire.

May yelped as a wave of pain rolled down her shoulders down to her back side. She flew onto her feet in a haze of confusion and adrenaline. No longer was she standing in a green field filled with the assortment of flowers. In its stead was a barren wasteland, brown and black in color from the dry dirt and dying grass. Fire in pools of grey were spread out, covering the land as far as the eyes could see. The sun was still out, but it held no comfort, for it began to sear her skin with its hot gaze.

May blinked rapidly and stared at the new scene with fear. _How…?_

"Where am I?" She asked out loud raising a hand to push back her locks of hair. As her hand swept though, she felt something get caught and begin to tangle. Moving her head back, she pulled her hand away from her hair taking notice of the poppy still in her grasp. As if suddenly drawn, May was unable to look away as she twirled the flower between her fingers.

It began to darken and decay before crumbling and turning to dust in her hand.

_May_

_.._

May's head snapped up, her fist clenching around the ashes. With wide terrified eyes, she swallowed thickly.

"D-Doctor?" She exclaimed, surprised. They were all there, every regeneration, just staring at her. "What? How did you-?" Her mouth went dry and suddenly May was lost for words. They weren't just staring at her, they were glaring – angrily. All of them, just under the surface, bubbling with barely controlled rage. _The Oncoming Storm._ May shrank back.

Behind them, stood the Tardis, glowing bright gold and silver as if she had just ascended from heaven. Crowned by god's light. Standing behind the Doctor like a silent protector. She was intimidating.

"You…" All the Doctors said at once – snarling. Their image shimmered and shifted till they conjoined into one Doctor. One man. One time lord.

He sneered. "You did this. You caused all of this."

"Doctor!" May cried out, heart clenching painfully. "I don't understa-!"

Bodies….so many bodies littered around her in all states of decay. Men, women, _children_ – dead at her feet.

"Oh god!" May stumbled back covering her mouth just as bile rose up, burning the back of her throat. "H-how?" There were so many of them, piled on top of each other, and they were all just staring at her with a lifeless gaze.

"This is your fault." The Doctor's voice growled, and May looked at him. He stood in the doorway of the Tardis, holding the door open as he glowered down at her. "You deserve this." And he began to retreat into Tardis. _No!_ She inwardly yelled. He was going to leave her again!

"Doctor, don't!" She reached out.

"Stay away from me!" He shouted with a snarl, eyes of pure ice. She flinched back at his tone, deflating completely, but that is when she noticed it.

Her hands were covered in blood.

She began to shake uncontrollably staring at her palms with a look of disbelief. _No. No. No. Nonononono!_ Her mind screamed as she began to hyperventilate.

"Just stay the hell way from me."

May raised her head, tears streaming down her face, but the Doctor was gone and the Tardis began to disappear. Wheezing and groaning as it went.

"D-Doctor?" She whimpered falling to her knees. This couldn't be happening. This was wrong. She grasped her hair and began shaking her head violently. "No. No. Don't leave. Not again. Not again." _I can't do this again._

_May_

_.._

" **Broken, cut, ripped, and forced to fit together**."

Startled, May's breath hitched and she lifted her head to see _her_ standing there. She was glowing in a gold almost orange light. Her eyes were intense as she stared down at May. Watching her as if she was seeing her for the first time. Blonde hair halo'd Rose's head, giving the image of an angel.

" **I see you.** " Rose confessed and her lips twitched to an almost smile. " **Now."** Her gaze moved to the right as if seeing something May couldn't. " **Then.** " It shifted to the left. " **Soon.** "

"I-I-I…" May stuttered thoroughly confused and utterly terrified. "R-Rose?"

Rose's penetrating stare landed back on her person, and she smiled softly as tears streamed unhindered down her face.

" **I'm sorry."** She apologized as she reached out, finger tips brushing May's cheeks. " **But you need to wake up now.** "

Rose's touch was hot against her skin, and suddenly May reared back, unable to handle the sharp burning pain. It felt like fire ants had crawled from Rose's fingers and began running free across May's face.

It hurt – badly.

…

..

* * *

..

…

"Ahh!"

May sat up breathing heavily, blinking away the drowsiness from her eyes. She stared at the wall in front of her blinking repeatedly as she tried to relax. She took in the numerous pictures taped to the wall in front of her. She steadied herself with the memories of her and Jack. May had gathered a lot throughout the year travelling with the renegade time agent. It became almost an obsession – a compulsion – to gather as many memories as she could. She was afraid if she didn't…she would forget.

She let out a long haggard sigh and let her shoulders droop. _What a scary dream._ Rubbing her head, May swung her legs over the side of her bed, and let them dangle there for a second. She knew she should get up, maybe take a shower or eat or something, but the effort it would take….exhausted her just by mere thought alone. May groaned pathetically and flopped back down on her bed, feet rising then falling before she began swinging them mindlessly. She just wanted to go back to sleep and not wake up. Not adult. Not do anything at all productive.

"But I need to…" She whined to no one, glaring stubbornly at the ceiling. Jack was coming back today, and if he saw the state the ship was in after he specifically told her to…

"Honey! I'm home!"

_Crap…_

Quickly, May pulled her feet up and grabbed the covers. Flipping over, she pulled the blanket up until it covered her entire body. She then ducked her head down and covered her mouth in order to quiet her breathing. That man has some seriously bad timing.

"Oh, you've got to be…" She heard Jack let loose of string of curses along with the sound shuffling. "Damn it!" Something fell to the floor with a loud _thump_. "May! May! Get your perky ass up off that bunk!"

May grimaced and buried her face deep into her pillow fully intending to ignore the man.

"May!" A hand grasped her blanket cover and began to pull. May held on tighter. "May, get up! I told you to clean up this ship! It's a mess."

"I'm sleeping!" She whined as she fought against her attacker.

"Don't be ridiculous." Jack growled, pulling. "Get up."

"Don't wanna!" she cried before yelping as a blast of cold air hit her hot body. Her poor blanket. Lost in sacrifice.

"Legs, get up and clean this mess." Jack ordered as he clasped a hand on her ankle. "It's a pigsty."

"Exaggeration!" she shouted trying to kick him off. "It's not that bad."

"Really? I'm pretty sure that bowl of noodles has been sitting there for about two weeks." He pointed out as he grabbed her calf and the apex of her arm.

"No!" she denied quickly. "That's not – ack!" Jack began to pull with all his strength and May was tugged off the bunk. Squealing, she fell into strong arms with a jolt. Hanging face down, May was forced to see the disaster that is the floor of her home.

"Uh?" May paused blinking repeatedly. "It's ah…working progress?"

"Really now." He stated dryly sounding unamused.

"Haven't you heard that you can't rush perfectio – ahh!" She dropped the remaining four feet to the ground on top of a pile of dirty clothes. _Or were these the clean ones?_

"I'm not expecting perfection, Legs." Jack sighed rubbing his face. "I just want a little…cleanliness." May sighed as she pushed herself to her knees. Grabbing a discarded shirt by the tips of her fingers, May scrutinized it by narrowing her eyes and wrinkling her nose. Tentatively she brought the piece of cloth to her face and inhaled deeply. Jack let out a barking laugh as her face pretty shade of green.

"It's…" She blanched. "Not that bad." May tossed the shirt over her shoulder.

"May." He began his face stern and his eyes dead serious. "I think something died in here."

She snorted as she stood. "It's called my hopes and dreams."

"I'm serious." He whined as he backed away, giving her room to maneuver. "How am I supposed to invite someone on board if it looks like _this_?"

"It's the twentieth century, Jack." May snorted as she pushed her way through the mess in order to step into the bathroom. "The London Blitz. You're not inviting anyone on board."

"Is something wrong with twentieth century women?" Jack leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and a smirk placed on his face. "Because there is certainly _nothing_ wrong with the men."

May glanced over her shoulder, and rolled her eyes. "They're too old for you." As he let out a barking laugh, May peeled off her shirt and tossed it over her head. Once, she would have never even thought of stripping in front of Jack. The thought of even getting naked in front of a man (let alone another person) was unfathomable, but Jack wasn't one for personal etiquette. May had seen more naked butt in one year that could last an entire lifetime. Jack did not see her nakedness as sexual in anyway. He treated her the same as he would if she were fully clothed.

"Is this about Debbie?" Jack inquired raising his brows. "I swear I didn't know."

"Insane. _Criminally_ insane, Jack." May shouted as she stepped into the shower. "It was an institution not a brothel. She was crazy."

"I thought crazy meant good." Jack pouted. "How was I supposed to know?"

"The guards were chasing you." She pointed out as she touched a panel against the wall. As she pressed down on a button, little robots emerged from the wall with brushes and sponges.

"Jealous suitors."

May laughed then giggled as a cleaning 'bot scrubbed a particular ticklish spot. "The straight jacket?"

"Is that what it was?" Jack mumbled scrunching his brows. "I thought it was for bondage – something erotic."

"She said you looked delicious."

"I thought she was speaking metaphorically! I didn't know she actually planned on eating me."

May busted out laughing and continued to chuckle throughout her entire time in the shower. When she got out, Jack had settled himself on the bottom bunk on his bed. He looked up at May and grinned.

"Better?"

May sighed. "A little." She grabbed a thrown towel and wrapped it around her head.

"You look better."

"Don't lie." She snorted walking over to mirror. "I look like crap."

And she did.

For months now, May had come down with some sort of illness. Her joints ached, her very bones felt heavy, and her head hurt. She had been sleeping more, sometimes all day, and no matter how much she ate – she was never satisfied. She was always hungry, always wanting more. Her skin had lost its elasticity and its coloring was pale almost ashen white. There were dark circles under her eyelids, and an empty lethargic look in her eyes. She felt as though she were wasting away – into nothing.

"That's why you need to get out, Legs." Jack explained peering around the doorway. "Fresh air. Out of this cesspool. Soon as this gig is done I will take you to a doctor, I promise."

That was the wrong thing to say.

How long had they been waiting? It had to be nearing a month now. They should be appearing any time now: Rose Tyler and her _Doctor._

May cringed visibly and looked away from the mirror. She reached over to a shirt barely hanging for life on the doorknob of a closet. She pressed it to her face and sniffed hesitantly. _Doesn't smell clean, but doesn't smell dirty either. It'll do._ She shrugged and sat the t-shirt on her shoulder.

She didn't want _a_ doctor nor did she want _the_ Doctor. It was like she stated to Jack before: all she wanted to do was sleep.

"I'm fine." She mumbled as she looked absentmindedly around the floor for clean panties.

"No you're not." Jack retorted and stepped towards her. Cupping her face in his hands, Jack angled her head so she was looking at him. "Don't take offense to this Legs, but you look like shit."

She snorted. "Thanks, Jack. What happened to ' _looking better_ '?"

"I'm serious." He placed his hand over her forehead. "You're warm."

"I just took a hot shower." May countered and stepped back. "I'm _fine_ Jack."

He moved back against the wall and crossed his warms – a disapproving frown planted on his face. May ignored him in order to scavenger through the hamper for underwear.

"They should be here any day now." Jack stated and when she didn't answer he added: "The Time Agents."

May sighed as she lifted up a particular clean looking pair of pink panties. "I know."

"Come on, Legs." Jack groaned, scratching the back of his head with an exasperated look. "Don't be like that!"

"Be like what? I'm not doing anything."

"You've got that look." Jack explained brows scrunched together. "The look that says you don't approve."

"I don't have a look." She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Yea, Legs, you do." He pointed out and came closer. "Right there!" He placed a finger in between her brows. "You scrunch your eyebrows and wrinkle your nose when you're thinking about something you don't like."

She rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away. "You know I hate these scams."

"And I've told you this before." Jack grumbled placing his hands on his hips. "We've got to make money. It's a living."

"No." She denied venomously and stalked forward, shoving her index finger into his chest. "It's retribution." She snubbed past him and walked back into the inner ship.

How many time have they had this argument? May didn't claim to be a saint, but what they were doing to people wasn't right. They weren't just lying, they were completely deceiving people. Swindling for money and destroying history. The things Jack picked up could have been given to museums or private collectors. There were better ways to make money. Legal money.

But Jack didn't care, he wanted to do thing his way. He wanted to hurt people, in that tiny insignificant way (a way that people didn't notice the pain), and feel better. Feel smarter. _Freer_.

"Legs." The way he said her name with a mixture of whininess and exasperation had her inwardly grimacing.

"Just one, Jack." She pleaded turning to look at him. "Just one piece, one piece of history." She smiled, but it was small, hesitant. "We could go to that Museum on Halios. Remember? In 6632? The Museum of Lost History?" Jack turned his head expression indignant. He lowered his chin to stare at the ground, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. May continued.

"We loved it. I _loved_ it. We could go there, with the ambulance, Jack. Please, just this once."

Jack glanced at her. The look he gave her was a reluctant one, and yet, it held a tad bit of guilt. May raised her brows and gave her best puppy dog eye look.

He sighed (it sounded tired), running his hand through his hair before giving May a smile. A smile that turned into a sultry smirk.

"How could I say no to that face?" he exclaimed as he stalked forward. He stopped just inches from her and leaned down – kissing her forehead. May closed her eyes and exhaled deeply – relaxing her shoulders. As Jack pulled back, he lifted his hand and cupped her cheek.

"Especially since you're naked." He whispered softly, eyes glittering mischievously. May balked and turned red. Opening her eyes, she glared at the man and began punching him in the shoulder.

"Don't." _Punch_. "Be." _Punch_. "Stupid." _Punch_. "Pervert."

Jack laughed. "Ow ow ow~." He backed away, raising his hands to protect his assaulted arm. May glowered and crossed her arms over her breasts. Turning, she slipped her panties over her legs and over her hips. Next she shrugged off her towel and pulled her shirt over her head. Jack wolf whistled.

"If I didn't know better, I would think you were trying to seduce me."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not my type playboy."

"And what is your type, beautiful?" He flirted with a smirk. They both looked at each other: one with a look of irritation and the other - arrogance. The showdown lasted mere seconds before both of them busted out in full blown grins.

"So when are we leaving?" May asked excitedly as she untangled her hair with her fingers. She wasn't lying when she said she loved the museum. It was a good museum with over three millennials worth of history in it. Though, 82.69 percent of it was wrong of course. Oh, the things that get lost in translation through history. Still, it was nice seeing things that were once new yesterday considered ancient tomorrow. Even nicer was seeing people still fascinated over things that were once was – even if they thought a toaster was once used as a hair styling tool.

"Well, I was thinking." Jack began stuffing his hands in his pocket and rocked back on his heels. May paused her brushing and glanced up at him. _That is never good._ "Since the time agents are almost here…"

May groaned and released her hair. "Jack!"

"And." He raised his index finger to silence her. " _Annd_ since the bait is already set-."

"Oh come on, you said-!"

"I thought we could finish what we started." Jack walked over and placed his hands onto of her shoulders. "And _then_ start doing the righteous thing."

May pushed him off causing him to stumble a bit. "Whatever Jack."

He groaned. "This could be big break for us, Legs. Did you see how old school their ship was? It was blue, Legs. Who goes blue anymore?" May snorted and she felt the urge to smile, but resisted. _You have no idea._ "They're obviously someone with particular tastes and a lot of money."

"And you got all this from just a passing glance in the Time Vortex."

"I've got an eye for these things." He winked. "Besides it's Chula, Legs." She flinched and her mood soured significantly. "You know how rare Chula artifacts are-."

"Don't." She glared. "Just don't. They're not an artifact Jack."

"They're a highly advance species that died out centuries - _millennials_ ago. Like the fabled Tim-."

"They're my friends. My family. My _past_. Not a payday." She bit back, fuming.

Jack sighed, rubbing his temples. "May. I understand how you feel but…"

"Oh, really?" She gave a bitter laugh. "How could you possi-."

"You're not the only one to lose somebody!" Jack roared, his face scrunched in frustration. May froze and her eyes went wide in surprise.

"Chuponia V was special to me too, but nothing can be done about it. They're gone! Lost in time and we can't go back!" He took a step forward, eyes gleaming hotly, his fists clenching and unclenching at side. May flinched and her muscles tensed in reaction. It wasn't that she was afraid, no she was just surprised. Jack wasn't easy to anger. He was the calmest and most collected person she knew. In the year she had known Jack, she has seen him only get angry three time, and none of them had ever been directed at her. It was startling to see it.

"We can't go back, IIyase. And they wouldn't want us too." He paused and his eyes softened. "We are going to do this last deal. Then we are going to take their money and take you to a doctor."

May sniffed as tears built in her eyes. She hung her head and gnawed on her bottom lip. "Can't it be anything else, Jack? Anything but that…" Jack walked closer, stopping in front of her, before cupping her chin in his palm. He lifted her face so their gazes would meet.

"That ambulance is going to make us a lot of money, May." Jack wiped the fallen tears away from her cheeks. "I promised that I would take care of you and that's what I'm doing. Even if it means destroying something beautiful to do it then I will. We _need_ that money, May." She pursed her lips, stubbornness passing over her expression. It was only for a few seconds though. Her shoulders sagged and she released a sigh.

"Alright." She reluctantly agreed. Jack grinned brightly and kissed her forehead.

"Fantastic." He laughed before pulling away. "You've made the right decision, Legs." He turned around and began looking around the room. "I brought you breakfast…now where did I put it?" He looked left then right multiple times before he gasped and said "Ah ha!". He reached over and grabbed a heavily looking bag.

"Eggs, biscuits, bacon, _jam_ -." He turned and wiggled his eyebrows as he pulled the containers out one by one. "-sausage, ham, and potatoes." She smiled. It was small and sad, but it was there. And that was enough for him.

"Sounds good." She replied and turned towards the bunks. "I'm famished." She stood on the bottom bunk to reach over the top in order to reach a drawer indented in the wall of her bed. She needed a brush.

When she climbed down and turned towards Jack. She noticed he was staring at her, concern evident in his eyes.

"What?" She asked raising her brow.

He blinked and shook his head, shaking off whatever had him looking at her in such a way. "Nothing. Are you coming out today?"

May sat down on Jack's bed and began brushing her hair in a fast and hard manner. "No, not today. I'm not…feeling up to it."

"Legs, you have to get out of here." He chided softly. "It's unhealthy. And I'm not talking about the condition of this ship. You need fresh air."

"It's fine. _I'm_ fine." She with a hint of irritation in her voice. But she mostly sounded weary, and that had Jack worrying.

Before he could speak, she sighed heavily and stopped brushing. "Besides, I can't go out there. You know that."

"Oh, Legs." Jack consoled with frown. He walked over and sat on the bunk next to her. He wrapped an arm around her back and grasped her shoulder – pulling her against his side. "You worry too much." He rested his chin on top of her head. "You're beautiful, and don't you forget it." He kissed the top of her head. "After we're done here, how about we go to that little café you like? The one on Mercury? The one that serves those delicious little Ice Cakes. How about it, Legs?"

May smiled softly, staring at the brush as she swirled it between her fingers. "Promise?"

The captain pulled back and turned her around so she was directly facing him. With his facial expression tranquil and eyes a soft warm blue, Jack said in a small but serious tone: "A promise to Legs, is a promise always kept."

After a few moment of comfortable silence, May enjoying the comfort of being in Jack's arms (and Jack enjoying the comfort of May being in his arms), the two pulled away. May continued brushing the birds nest called her hair, and Jack sauntered slowly towards the door of the ship.

He paused with his hand on panel and turned to look at May. "You'll eat won't you?"

"Of course." She raised a single brow at him with a look that said " _did you really just ask that?_ "

"Okay, okay. I'm just asking because it looks like you're losing weight."

"It's just you're imagination." She replied with a huff and refused to look at him.

Jack raised own brow, looking like he didn't believe her, but he didn't push his luck.

"And don't forget to clean up a little." He pointed at her, lowering his head, and stare directly at her. "I'm serious, May. It's unhealthy.

May groaned and bobbed her head. "Yes, _dad._ "

The captain opened the door and stepped out, but momentarily hesitated at the doorway. He turned to look at the woman: expression serious and eyebrows furrowed. May paused her brushing, eyeing him with concern.

"Jack?"

At the sound of his name, whatever spell had Jack bound – broke, and a flirtatious smirk flitted upon his lips.

"I'd accept _daddy_ too." He said with a wink.

She made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat, and rolled her eyes. "I'm **not** calling you _daddy_." Then she took the nearest object and hurdled it directly at Jack's over-inflated head. An object that which so happened to be brush.

Jack ducked, and her precious brush hit the doorway with a loud 'crack'. It then spun outward and out the doorway. Falling down ( ** _down_ , _down_ , _down_** _)_ to streets of London. Jack began laughing hysterically while May groaned, head bowed at the lost. She flopped backwards on the bunk and swung an arm over her eyes.

"Get lost." She grumbled despairingly. Jack stopped laughing abruptly and suddenly silence stretched. It wasn't exactly awkward, but it wasn't exactly comfortable either. May shifted on the bunk, the cold suddenly nipping at her skin.

He called out her name. "May." She turned to him and raised brow in question. He was looking at her, with that same serious expression he had held before.

"This is the last time, I promise." He vowed never taking his eyes off her – never wavering. Her shoulder's sagged and her expression softened. Something inside May warmed pleasantly.

"You should go." She exclaimed, sitting up. "Don't you have men, 31 centuries your senior, to seduce?"

His grin was dazzling as he settled his cap over his head. Taking the tip of the cap, he pulled it down a little, and bobbed his head.

"Miss." He stated then backed away till he was outside of the ship. When the door slide close, effectively blocking Jack from her vision, was when May finally stood. She stretched her arms over head and pulled till the muscles in her shoulders pinched. She stood up on her tippy toes, curving her back backwards, until every muscle was tight and taunt. Then she released. She sagged a bit, her shoulders drooping, and she sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time today.

"I guess it's time." She mumbled to herself, gazing over the small hills of clothes and trash. May began cleaning: picking up the clothes up one by one, separating hers from his, and the colors from the whites. She picked up the trash, wiped the walls, dusted the shelves, and cleaned the bathroom. She hung up his shirts and folded his pants and underwear into the drawer. Then she packed her own clothes unceremoniously into a military-looking bag.

The ones that didn't fit into the bag, she tossed into the burner to be used as a fuel source. Then she climbed onto her top bunk and carefully peeled the pictures she had collected over the last year off the wall. She gathered all her things into a generous pile. The things she kept were stuffed into many pockets while others were tossed or burned.

May slipped on a pair of black cargo pants and a pair of dark grey shitkickers. She then grabbed an oversized grey hoody and slipped it over her head. Walking to the restroom, May stared into the mirror. She glanced at her reflection before she reached over to a black scarf and pulled it off the towel rack. She placed it over her forehead, just covering her eyebrows, then wrapped it once around the back of her head. She twirled the scarf around her face over and over again till it covered everything but her dull brown eyes. May raised the hood of her hoody effectively shrouding her face in shadows.

She backed out the bathroom and turned out the lights. Giving the room a good once over, May was suddenly filled with melancholy and deep-rooted sadness. Jack was right - this would be their very last time.

"I'm sorry." She apologized and pulled out a note she had written and rewritten weeks ago when she had made her decision. May placed it on her freshly made bunk. "I'm sorry we couldn't go to Mercury."

She backed away and grabbed her bag. "I'm sorry for breaking my promise."

Then she left without looking back. Leaving the only reminders that she was ever there, burning into a pile of ash, and a single note - left laying innocently on top of a pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May, where the hell are you going?!
> 
> ..
> 
> Is probably what most of you are thinking xD But sadly most of you will have to wait for that answer in the next chapter.
> 
> I'm pretty sure most of you have more questions than answers at this point. I'm a little sorry for that, but I promise things will be more clear soon~! 
> 
> I'm sorry I couldn't place the Doctor in this chapter, but once I started writing it I realized the Doctor would have just off the whole mood I was trying to set. So I stopped it a little short. This chapter is actually the short one I've written so far.
> 
> Amazing, I know.
> 
> I didn't write Jack OCC did I? It's one of the main things I'm worried about while writing. I don't want to write anyone out of character. I want May and Jack to have a brother/sister relationship, but I do NOT want it to be an automatic thing. Remember, they've been living together for a year and there is bound to be some kind of EMOTIONAL CONNECTION between them, right? Jack cares about May (and vice versa) and worries for her well-being, but that's all. Right? Hmm...
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter jumps straight into canon! Well, sort of jumps. More like curves into canon. BUT! It has the NINTH DOCTOR and ROSE in it! Hooray~! Progress!


	8. Empty Child: It's Okay to be Afraid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May meets Nine

"Tell us, Lady May, how did you come to meet the Sir Doctor?" Inquired the Queen, her three golden hued eyes staring unblinking at May – who was in mid motion of shoveling the purple-like lasagna into her mouth. The pasta dropped unceremoniously back on top of the plate with a "plop" and silence stretched across the room eerily. All eyes, pairs of two and threes, landed on her. All conversation had stopped as soon as the Queen had opened her mouth because once the Queen spoke - all listened.

"Uhh." She mumbled dumbly as she glanced at the Doctor - the source of the question. He was looking at her now, his brown eyes piercing. He was sipping his drink carefully - slowly. She could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed the yellow liquid down. Rose was at his left picking at her food with a small scowl on her face. Her brown eyes continuously flickered over to the Doctor's right were another blonde sat. The Princess of Tre'Odro was gorgeous: tall, long limbs, subtle curves, face of perfection. She was an artists' goddess, a man's dream, and a woman's envy. She was sweet, innocent, and wanted for not.

And right now she wanted the Doctor – the hero of the Tre people. The King could never deny his sweet dew drop.

May had been sitting innocently at the round table, eating her meal, watching the scene like a bad TV soap opera it was. The Doctor obviously liked (loved) the attention he was receiving. He didn't accept the Princess's persistent invitations, actually he dodged them quite nicely, it was just that he never said _no_ either. Something that Rose didn't miss. The King immediately set the wedding date for tomorrow (servants scrambled around in preparation) – the Princess squealed in excitement, the Doctor chocked on his meal, and Rose stabbed _something_. It was an extremely amusing sight, and May couldn't stop the chuckle that had escaped her. All the while, the Queen had been more subdued unlike her family through the whole event. She asked the usual questions: "Who are you, sir Doctor?", "Time Lord?", "And your box?", "What is a _Tardis_?", "Where are you and your companions from?", "And your heading?", "Doctor? Doctor who?".

It was all very typical – _till it wasn't._

"It isn't a very amusing tale, ma'am. Oops! I – ah….I mean your _majesty_." May stumbled feeling her cheeks burn embarrassingly. "You'll be bored." May hurried and took a sip from her drink in order to stop herself from talking. She wasn't used to being a topic of conversation especially not when the Doctor was around. He always took most of the attention whether it be deliberate or not. He had that kind of presence. May was fine with that.

"I suspect nothing involving sir Doctor is ever boring, Lady May." The Queen replied running an elegant finger down the curve of her face. _She definitely hasn't had to sit through an entire debate of whether the effects of the Quantitative Movement of Radical Mathematic thesis is a better theory on the June Division rather than the Infinite Pie Quantitate Effects of Imaginary Numbers._

It still gave her a migraine just thinking about it.

"Tell us." Pushed the Queen. "I'm sure it is quite the tale."

"Not really." May mumbled slouching her shoulders feeling a bit reluctant. "I was barely involved through the whole ordeal."

"Come on, May." Rose interrupted sitting up in her seat, giving the tall woman an encouraging smile. "Don't be so hard on yourself, just tell the story. It'll be a nice change of pace-." Her pink lips twitched a little before she gave May a full blown grin. "Hearing someone else talk for a while." At the Doctor's indulgent yell and pout he gave his blonde companion caused May to smile – if only a little.

"I agree." Spoke the Princess – her voice smooth as silk. "I also wish to know how you and your companions met, but I wish the sir Doctor to tell them. He is an excellent story teller." She gave Rose a sparkling grin and laid her head upon the Doctor's shoulder. Rose glowered and chugged down her drink. The Doctor grinned broadly before turning sheepish and scratching his cheek.

"Weeell, I don't know about that." He cocked his head as if thinking about it before his eyes twinkled and he glanced down at Rose. "But the story of how Rose and I met is quite a monumental tale – if not _life_ changing." He brought his hand down and covered Rose's. "Especially for me." The blonde human blushed an interesting shade of red and this time her glare turned playful.

"Oh, shut up." And she shoved him with her opposite hand while the other stayed wound together with his. The Princess reared back, frowning at the sudden display of affection. She glanced at their woven hands then back at their faces, eyes narrowing dangerously. May quietly took another bite of her meal, completely unfazed _. Exactly like a TV soap opera_.

"Please do tell?" The Princess asked, her voice still pleasant and smooth, but held a bit of bite to it.

The Doctor scratched his cheek again. "Well it all started when I received a signal in the Tardis-."

"Excuse me, Sir Doctor." Interrupted the Queen, raising her hand. "I'm sorry for the interruption, but that story is one I do not wish to hear at the moment." Her gaze drifted over to May who had frozen as soon as the Queen had spoken. "I wish to hear Lady May's tale spoken in her own words."

May lowered her fork and stared curiously at the Queen. "You are persistent." She felt the other patrons around her stiffen, some even chocked, and a few gasped - appalled by her impudence. May didn't care.

The Queen just smiled brightly.

"I am Queen." She stated as if it clarified everything. And maybe it did.

May chuckled and sat up in her chair. "I guess it doesn't matter if I tell you or not." She gave the Queen a pointed look. "Though I was telling the truth when I said it is boring."

"I'll be the judge of that." She replied and crossed her fingers.

"Ookay." May shrugged and leaned back. "I'm sure the Doctor and Rose could tell it better, but here goes nothing-." She brought her hand to her chin and scrunched her nose thoughtfully. "I first met Rose and the Doctor at a Hospital a long time ago on Earth. I was waiting for a friend who I had -."

"No." Interrupted the Doctor, his tone and look expressing some sort of deep disapproval. "That is not how we first met."

May's heart stuttered in her chest and her brain went completely blank. _What?_

How could he possible know?

He couldn't know.

He was still too far behind to actually _know_.

He hadn't even met Martha yet!

There was no way he knew that they had first meet one hundred trillion years in the future.

He would know about Utopia.

He would know about Jack.

He would know about the _Master_!

_Unless…_ May's lungs quit working, and suddenly, she felt dizzy. _Unless the Tardis told him._

Could she even do that? _Was that even allowed? Wasn't that breaking fifty time-traveler rules?_ No, no. The Tardis couldn't have told him. That didn't make sense.

_Except it does._

It all makes sense. The Tardis hated her. Of course she would tell the Doctor about…

"We had met earlier." Came the Doctor's voice, piercing her very soul with anxiety.

"I didn't know that." Said Rose who glanced curiously back and forth between May and the Doctor. "When? Where?"

"When I was searching for the Empty Child." Explained the Doctor, running a hand through his brown hair. "We bumped into each other on the streets."

"Empty Child?" the Princess asked curiously, edging towards the Doctor, pushing her chest out. "What is that?"

Before he could explain May had gasped, her eyes wide in remembrance.

"Oh yes!" She exclaimed in surprise. "I remember now." Her heart beat and anxiety slowed while embarrassment grew in their stead. Of course he didn't know. There was no way.

"It was at night during the air raid." She began thinking back. "I was running." Her eyes began to glaze over as she remembered, and a small genuine smile fluttered across her face. "Because that is what someone does when they meet the Doctor – they run."

…

..

* * *

..

…

The streets were empty and the houses long abandoned by the time May had stumbled across them. May eyed the barren structures with an ounce of pity. How long would they remain standing? The war wouldn't be over for a little while longer. Would people come back home to see everything they owned and loved in ruins? Or would these houses lay untouched, waiting for someone that would never show? It was a sad and sort of a humbling sight. May didn't linger, though she had an urge to snoop. 1930s. London Blitz. Who wouldn't be at least a little bit curious about their history?

But she had to move on.

May had no intentions what so ever to meet the Doctor and his Tardis ever again. She didn't know how, or when, but she would find her own way back home. Back to her own universe. There were plenty more time travelers out there besides the Doctor. He was just the more eccentric one out of the group.

So she left, embarking on her own independent journey. May felt extremely guilty for leaving Jack, but this was something she had to do on her own. He had his own destiny – with the Doctor and Rose. She couldn't interfere with that. If she had told him her plans of leaving, would he have demanded to come with her? Told her to stay? She couldn't do that to him.

So May continued walking alone in the dark back streets of London sticking close to the shadows. When she heard the sounds of planes flying overhead May's heart jumped unexpectedly. Today was the day. They were here. That only put more fire into her steps. She wanted to be long gone, at least on the other side of the capital, before he and his companion began snooping around.

Looking for danger they would surely find.

_Danger_ , she supposed _, is something I should also be looking out for_. May leaned back against a shambling wall, pushing herself closer to the shadows as the headlights of multiple cars passed. When they were gone, May moved on.

Jogging behind a house and into the backyard she scanned over the wreckage that was clearly vandalism. May spotted a pair of trash cans tossed unceremoniously to the side. She hoisted them upright, moving the open ends downwards, and stepped on top of them. She then hoisted herself up the brick wall that separated the backyard from the railroads just behind the house. She grinned, slipping a leg over the wall before just sitting there, legs dangling on either side.

She looked back to her left, peering at the sight of Big Ben just over the houses. So far away. The giant bell looked almost like a skinny pole with a face, but she knew better. The way she had came was lit up with strobe lights, and surrounded with multiple barrage balloons that dangled there. Then she looked to her right: long winding railroads going east to west than to the south more buildings and neighborhoods. It was silent, barren, sad, and dark.

Taking a deep breath, she jumped to the other side landing on her feet without so much as a stumble. Grabbing the straps of her backpack for a little of moral support, May trudged on towards the railroad tracks.

"Are you my mummy?"

May stumbled forward, nearly falling to the ground, before she caught herself. Her heart lurched in her chest as she twirled around to see a child. A small child, maybe five or six, wearing ratty worn clothing and a black gas mask.

"No. No. No. No." She denied, vigorously shaking her head. "You shouldn't be here. Why are you here?"

He took a step forward and May took two steps back. "Mummy? Are you my mummy?"

"Sorry, no mummies here." She laughed, though it sounded a little strained. "Why are you here? You should be…be…not here…most definitely _not_ here." He took another step forward and May scrambled backwards. "Stay there! Don't move!" She raised her hand, but the boy just cocked his in question and continued walking.

"Mummy? Don't you recognize me mummy?"

"Come on, kid. I'm not your mother." She pleaded, her hands still hanging in the air. "And I really don't want to turn into a gas masked zombie with mommy issues."

He clearly wasn't listening. "Why are you backing away? Are we playing a game?"

_Oh man. Oh man. Oh man. This isn't good._ Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she contemplated her situation. What was the best way to get rid of a possessed little boy? It wasn't like she could call a priest. This wasn't a demonic issue, it was science. Stupid _stupid_ science.

"Hey now." She called out to him. "How about I help find your mommy? Would you like that?"

"Mummy?" he echoed, curiosity in his voice.

"Yeah. Mummy." She agreed as she reached behind her back. Sticking a hand in her pocket she pulled out a pair of gloves. Still eyeing the child, whose name she couldn't remember for the life of her, she slowly pulled the gloves over her fingers.

The child only turned other people with a touch, or rather, skin to skin contact. So as long as she kept her skin covered she should be alright. At least, that was the theory. The boy stopped his pursuit in order to watch May's movements. Curiosity radiated off him as May knelt to the ground, her arms open wide.

"Let's find your mommy." She stated with a genuine smile on her face. She began waving her hands, coaxing him closer. When he didn't move, she began to frown.

"Come on, kid." She whined. "You came to me not the other way around." May lowered her hands. "I need your help here, okay?" She raised her brows expectantly, keeping her voice calm and smooth. "Now I want to help you, but I can't do that unless you let me. I wanted to leave but you stopped me for some ungodly reason. Out there, there is someone who can help you-." She pointed out back towards the city. "A man who could find your mother."

"Mummy? Find mummy?"

"Take my hand and I will take you some where safe." _Or hopefully some where safe. I didn't really think this through._

The kid just continued watching May. Not moving or saying anything.

She whined in frustration. "Come on, kid. No reason to start changing your MO now. The faster I get you some place safe, the faster I can leave." A child walking around the streets of London, even scientifically enhanced, couldn't possibly be good. "You want to see your mommy right?" At the word the boy jerked into action again taking a step forward.

"There you go." May coaxed with a grin. "That's right. Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. Come on."

He walked towards her with hesitation in his steps. His pace was slow, but May was patient. It wasn't until he was mere feet from her that he stopped, or more like froze.

"You're not mummy." He mumbled softly, too softly.

"What?" May asked confused, unable to hear him. "What did you say?"

"You're not my mummy!" he yelled, his tiny fists clenched. "Not mummy! Not mummy! Not mummy!" And then he took off, back into the darkness, screaming for his mother. May watched him go with her jaw dropped completely flabbergasted.

"Wha-? W-wait!" she called out after a moment hesitation. "Stop!" May took a step forward in an attempt to chase after him.

"I just want to help!" she cried out though her voice drifted off towards the end. "What the heck just happened?" May gripped the straps of her backpack in comfort and began gnawing on her bottom lip. _Should I go after him?_ She shook her head. _Best not get further involved. It will all work out…I think._ So with one last look at where the boy had ran, May turned back around and continued her journey.

"Hello!"

"Ahhhhh! Holy cra-aaah!" May screamed with utmost grace. She stumbled backwards, arms flailing, and stared wide eyed at a man.

_The Doctor._

"Sorry." The Doctor laughed with a large smile plastered on his face. "I was just passing by and…are you alright?" His bright blue eyes stared curiously at her as May gaped openly, her jaw dropped. _This isn't possible. This isn't right. No no no no no. He can't be here. He CAN'T be HERE! No no no no no no._

"No!" She shouted out before she could stop herself. She felt her face go hot in embarrassment and swallowed nervously. "Y-you shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"Again, sorry." The Doctor apologized as he crossed his arm with a brow raised. "As I was saying, I was just passing by and saw you standing here. You wouldn't have happened to have seen a young boy walking around here wearing a gas mask?"

May's mouth went dry. "I-ah umm." Her eyes shifted to the side unable to look at him. What was he doing here? This wasn't possible. He should be off running around, sonicing things, not talking to her.

"How about a woman this tall, dark brown hair, dark eyes, mysterious air about her, bit of a temper."

She shook her head vigorously and gripped her backpack straps - slowly backing away. "No, sorry I-ah got to-ah…" _I need to go. Far away. Far **far** away. I can't be dragged into this again._

The Doctor took an aggressive step forward. "No? Then how about a blonde woman, nineteen, wide innocent brown eyes, wearing a Union Jack T-shirt?"

"No. No." She shook her head again. "I'm sorry." She tried to leave, but he stopped her once again by stepping in her way.

"Not many people are brave enough to be out during an air raid." He stated rather casually. "Most people would be hiding in their little tin huts by now."

"I'm not brave."

"Then what a time for a stroll the night, isn't it?" the Doctor laughed, but it was hollow. "You're not homeless, I can tell by the smell. I can also smell that you're not from around here."

"I don't know what you're talking about." May stated defensively as she tried to sound offended by the idea, but she was shaking in her boots. "Please I must-."

"You know time travel leaves an impression on people. In the way they talk or how they hold themselves. It's also deeper than that on a molecular level. Each time period has a distinct smell to them, which clings to organisms, and you…" He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did it. He held it there for a few moments before he let out the air in a slow hiss. "You smell…different." He cocked his head. "Where are you from? The 42nd Century? 43rd? 51st? Don't tell me the 55th century?"

"I don't know what you're talking abo-."

"Why did you lure me here?" He interrupted. "Why did you send the mauve signal?"

"I didn't!" she shouted turning red faced. "I didn't ask for you!"

The Doctor didn't say anything back, and silence stretched on. The blood was pounding so hard in her head that she could barely hear the sounds of the airplanes. Her thoughts began racing and May dreaded that she was no longer able to get away. The Doctor had caught her in his snare.

"That is the first truthful reaction I have gotten out of you." He said finally uncrossing his arms. "But you do know what is going on around here don't you?"

May blinked stupidly before shaking her head vigorously.

"Excuse me for saying this, but I just don't believe you." He stated staring at her hard. "Why do you have your face covered?"

"Why do ask so many questions?" May shot back glaring, but nervously gripped her straps harder. "What do you want from me?"

"Now who is asking too many questions." the Doctor quipped. "There is something about you that I don't like. You're hiding something."

May's heart clenched painfully, and she lowered her head in order to keep the Doctor from seeing how much his words stung. "You don't know me, sir. Please, I must go."

"Mmm." He hummed in thought. "Nooope."

_Click_

May looked up to see the Doctor grinning with a hand raised, showing off a silver bracelet on his wrist. She looked down at her own hands and noticed an identical bracelet around her left.

"No. No. No. No. Did you just shackle me?!" May shouted in anger and tried to pull the silver band off. It wouldn't budge.

"Don't worry its only temporary." He explained brows raised. "It only stops you from going more than 10 feet away from me. It won't cause you any physical pain or trauma."

"Why?" May glared. "This is kidnapping."

"Don't worry, I'm not taking you off planet." He grinned. "I'm just keeping an eye on you until this whole situation has been solved."

"This has nothing to do with me." She growled tugging at the band.

"Maybe, but I highly doubt that." He then clapped his hands. "Now that we've got that out the way, let's get going."

May floundered, stunned by his indifference, and couldn't help but shriek out a confused - "Where?!"

"To where that boy you were talking to ran off." He pointed behind her. "We are following him."

May pursed her lips and looked away. _He knew all along. He was just toying with me._ She was so distracted by wanting to get away she didn't even realize. She should have just told the truth.

"I don't want too." She replied truthfully, face pale, but the Doctor was already walking past her.

"Don't care." He grinned and sauntered off. May stood there, not moving, watching the Doctor's leather clad back get further and further away. Suddenly, an uncontrollable outside force lifted her left hand and the silver bracelet began pulling her forward. May gritted her teeth and dug her heels into the gravel, but the bracelet was relentless. _No! This isn't fair! I just wanted to leave! I don't. Want. This!_

"By the way, the names the Doctor." He called back jovially without turning around. May grabbed her wrist and pushed the limb towards her waist. With a scowl she began walking just behind the Doctor careful not to get too far away.

"May." She stated looking at him. _Would he recognize my name? Does he even know me yet?_ She stared at his back trying to gauge his reaction. "May Owens."

But he didn't say anything, just continued walking. So May followed without another word, her head down and her heart clenching painfully.

…

..

* * *

..

…

The Doctor spotted the young woman an hour later sneaking into an abandon shack made up of broken rail sidings and train car doors. He walked towards her with purpose in his step. May followed unwillingly, but she hung a little ways back, rubbing her hands together nervously. The young woman was startled to see them, and began glancing around, quickly looking for an escape route. May couldn't blame the girl, for she had done the exact same thing, but the Doctor did what he always did.

He talked, and when he talked his words would get confusing and muddled in your head. Then before you know it, you would be serving him tea like an old friend. The young woman and the Doctor began joking with each other before May realized it. She pointed out the Doctor's long nose and ridiculously large ears, and the Doctor humbly played ignorant. May would have laughed if the silver band around her wrist didn't feel like fire against her skin.

Then they were off, walking back into the dark, ignoring the sounds of planes and bombs. The young woman and the Doctor chatted, both seemingly ignoring her, but May caught her more than once glancing back at her. They walked and walked for what seemed like miles down the rail road tracks. All this walking had May slightly panting and her sides aching as sharp needles climbed up her legs. She desperately needed to sit down but dared not complain. Not while the Doctor had her chained like a dog.

Coming into view a large hospital and around that hospital were barbed wire fences and men with guns. May shivered from an unexpected chill. She hated guns. The Doctor began to sprint, forcing May to run too, which had her moaning and groaning. Together they cleared the road without being spotted and ended up on a stairwell that lead towards a bridge leading towards the hospital. May sat down unceremoniously on the steps not caring that it was damp from the light drizzle of the night. Her legs began to protest from all the unexpected amount of exercise. She rubbed her sore knees and sat with her head resting against the wall. Just watching the Doctor quietly pull out binoculars from his inner jacket pocket.

The young woman walked up to him just inches away from his shoulder to stare into the opening were a mass amount of soldiers grouped.

"The bomb's under that tarpaulin." She said with a guarded expression. "They put the fence up overnight." She then nodded in the direction towards the hospital. "See that building? The hospital."

"What about it?"

"That's where the doctor is. You should talk to him."

"For now, I'm more interested in getting in there." He stated pointing towards the fence. Inside sat a large cylinder shaped machinery covered in a tarp. May's heart clenched painfully in her chest, and her expression turned sad. _The ambulance._

The young woman shook her head. "Talk to the doctor first."

"Why?"

"Because then maybe you won't want to get inside." Her face turned grim and she back away, climbing the stairs.

"Where're you going?" the Doctor inquired not even turning around or removing the binoculars.

"There was a lot of food in that house. I've got mouths to feed. Should be safe enough now." She replied defensively as if urging him to say something.

But the Doctor didn't

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked suddenly, and the young woman rolled her eyes. "Who did you lose?"

She froze. "What?"

"The way you look after all those kids." The Doctor lowered his binoculars and turned fully towards her. Staring at her with inquisitive eyes. "It's because you lost somebody, isn't it? You're doing all this to make up for it."

She didn't back down and stared straight into his eyes. "My little brother. Jamie. One night I went out looking for food." Her eyes shifted towards the ambulance and nodded. "Same night that thing fell. I told him not to follow me, I told him it was dangerous, but he just." Her face scrunched together and there was a strain in her voice. "He just didn't like being on his own."

"What happened?"

"In the middle of an air raid?" She scoffed and then sneered at him. "What do you think happened?" The Doctor nodded looking down for just a moment before looking up again. Silence stretch as he gazed up at the stars. May followed his gaze.

"Amazing." He finally said with a smile.

The young woman looked at him like he was crazy. "What is?"

"1941." He looked at her before glancing back up the sky. "Right now, not very far from here, the German war machine is rolling up the map of Europe. Country after country, falling like dominoes. Nothing can stop it. Nothing." The sky was burning red and yellow from the planes' bullets and bombs. Barrage balloons bounced and swayed in the air. And the moon, the moon was barely visible from all the smoke and carnage. "Until one, tiny, damp little island says no. No. Not here." The Doctor chuckled and a look of pure amazement crossed over his face. "A mouse in front of a lion." He turned to stare at the young woman with such a look of deep sincerity it hurt to see. "You're amazing, the lot of you. Don't know what you do to Hitler, but you frighten the hell out of me." The young woman smiled, it was small and sad, but it was there. "Off you go then. Do what you've got to do. Save the world."

Then he turned around and trotted down the rest of steps. May groaned silently and pushed herself up. She walked quickly down the stairs before the Doctor got too far away. When she brushed past the woman, a hand caught her elbow. May's eyes widened in surprise and she turned her head toward her.

"Miss, are you alright?" she asked her brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. She cast a glance over her shoulder towards the Doctor who had stopped and was waiting. He stood watching them, hands on his hips and a curious look on his face. May relaxed. _So, she didn't trust the Doctor fully._ She smiled. _Good for her._

But there wasn't anything she could do to help.

"I'm fine." May smiled warmly and took her hand in hers – squeezing it gently. "It's been a long night."

The young woman stared at her, her eyes scanning all over her cloth covered face. "If you're sure."

May nodded and smiled again before continuing to climb down the stairs. She jogged towards the Doctor who had turned back around as soon as she began her approach. Together they walked down to the underbelly of the bridge.

"Nothing to say?" The Doctor questioned without looking at her.

May glanced at him. "What is there to say?"

"No hints or suggestions?"

May shut her mouth and glared. They continued on without another word.

…

..

* * *

..

…

_Okay, this is creepy. Very creepy._ Despite her fear and mistrust of the Doctor, May stuck close to him as he led her through the many halls of the hospital. Well, not exactly an empty hospital. Every corridor they passed, every room they looked into, there were people. People in beds: not moving, not breathing, not doing anything. It was like they were dead, but May knew better. An overwhelming sense of guilt began to fill her. This was her fault. All these people, all these lives, destroyed because she couldn't stop Jack. And that little boy. He was lost and alone because of _her_.

They entered a lightly lit room and the Doctor scanned the people with a look of confusion and slight intrigue on his face. Even though she knew it was coming, May still jumped when the other doctor came into the room with a tap of his cane.

"You'll find them everywhere." He exclaimed with a slight wheeze. "In every bed, in every ward. Hundreds of them." The Doctor turned towards him nearly knocking into May who was still cowering at his side.

"Yes, I saw." He replied, eyeing the old man. "Why are they still wearing gas masks?"

"They're not." The old doctor arched his brows as his eyes swept around the room before landing on him. "Who are you?"

The Doctor straightened. "I'm, er." He deflated slightly and glanced at the old doctor's white coat. "Are you ah the doctor?"

"Doctor Constantine." The older man nodded. "And you are?"

The Doctor easily avoided that question.

"Nancy sent me."

"Nancy?" Constantine gave May a glance before looking away. "That means you must've been asking about the bomb."

"Yes."

Constantine gave the Doctor a questioning look. "What do you know about it?"

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Why I was asking. What do you know?"

Constantine turned full circle and turned around gesturing to the room full of people. "Only what it's done."

"These people, they were all caught up in the blast?"

"None of them were." Constantine chuckled before breaking out into a coughing fit. He coughed so hard his body began shaking and he fell into a chair.

"You're very sick." The Doctor analyzed him carefully.

"Dying, I should think." He gave morbid chuckled. "I just haven't been able to find the time." Constantine turned and stared hard at the Doctor. "Are you a doctor?"

"I have my moments." He smiled grimly.

"Have you examined any of them yet?"

"No."

The old doctor raised his cane and pointed it to one man on a bed. He gestured him towards the Doctor. "Don't touch the flesh."

"Which one?" He asked glancing at the bodies around the room.

"Any one." Constantine replied causing the Doctor to raise a brow in surprise. He walked towards the patient while May stayed put. Glancing around the room, May spotted a cabinet where white neatly folded blankets sat. Without thought, May went over to it and opened the doors. Grabbing one, she turned back around and walked towards the doctor. The old man broke his gaze away the Doctor to stare up at her.

May smiled. "Here you go, doctor."

"Thank you, dear." He replied returning the smile though it was strained. He looked back towards the Doctor. "Conclusions?"

"Massive head trauma, mostly to the left side." The Doctor replied scanning his sonic close to the patient's flesh. "Partial collapse of the chest cavity, mostly to the right. There's some scarring on the back of the hand and the gas mask seems to be fused to the flesh, but I can't see any burns."

Constantine coughed. "Examine another one." The Doctor looked at the older man with his face scrunched together in confusion but did as he was told. He walked to another patient, a woman this time, and scanned her from head to toe.

The Doctor read his sonic with a look of awe on his face. "This isn't possible."

"Examine another."

The Doctor ran this time. As he scanned another patient his gaze turned from awe to confusion to suspicion. He glanced at May who refused to look at him.

"This isn't possible."

"No." Constantine agreed.

The Doctor scanned yet another patient. "They've all got the same injuries."

"Yes."

"Exactly the same."

"Yes." Constantine began coughing, his face even paler.

"Identical, all of them, right down to the scar on the back of the hand." The Doctor exclaimed in amazement.

Doctor Constantine looked down at his own hand where a scar sat openly. He glanced at May who stared at him with an expression of pity and guilt. Constantine covered the scar by covering it with his other hand.

"How did this happen?" the Doctor shouted. "How did it start?"

Constantine looked back at him. "When that bomb dropped, there was just one victim."

"Dead?"

"At first." Constantine stared the Doctor down. "His injuries were truly dreadful. By the following morning, every doctor and nurse who had treated him, who had touched him, had those exact same injuries. By the morning after that, every patient in the same ward, the exact same injuries. Within a week, the entire hospital. Physical injuries as plague." His expression was grave. "Can you explain that? What would you say was the cause of death?"

"The head trauma." The Doctor guessed.

"No."

"Asphyxiation."

"No."

"The collapse of the chest cavity."

"No."

"All right." The Doctor shouted exasperated. "What was the cause of death?"

"There wasn't one." Constantine told him plainly. "They're not dead." He raised his cane and hit it against a trash can near May's feet. At the sound, the dozen of patients around them sat up almost instantaneously. The Doctor shuffled backwards his sonic slightly raised in alarm. May had jumped, bumping into the side of the table, causing said table too scoot backwards noisily.

"Jesus!" She shouted in fear. God did she hate zombies.

"It's all right. They're harmless." Constantine soothed softly. "They just sort of sit there. No heartbeat, no life signs of any kind. They just don't die."

"And they've just been left here?" The Doctor inquired angrily. "Nobody's doing anything?" The zombie patients began to lie down again, making May relax slightly. Letting go of the edge of the table, May began walking back towards the Doctor and stopped just behind his back.

"I try and make them comfortable. What else is there?"

"Just you? You're the only one here?"

Doctor Constantine glowered at the Doctor. "Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither. But I'm still a doctor."

May saw the Doctor's shoulder slump and the expression on his face soften. "Yeah. I know the feeling." It made May's heart break for him. The Doctor: always alone, always running, always carrying such burdens. Even if they weren't his to bear.

Constantine turned melancholy. "I suspect the plan is to blow up the hospital and blame it on a German bomb."

"Probably too late." The Doctor pointed out.

"No." Constantine denied. "There are isolated cases. Isolated cases breaking out all over London." He began choking, his body shaking vigorously. So bad the blanket May had placed over his lap fell to the floor. The Doctor stepped forward, but Constantine waved him away. "Stay back, stay back! Listen to me." He looked the Doctor straight in the eyes. "Top floor. Room 802. That's where they took the first victim, the one from the crash site. And you must find Nancy again."

"Nancy?"

"It was her brother." He began coughing. "She knows more than she's saying." Constantine gaze shifted over to May who had covered her mouth in horror. "She won't tell me, but she might…m-might…m-m-m-mummy? Are you…m-my…mummy?" May held back a scream that climbed up her throat as the good doctor's face began to contort almost painfully. From his mouth emerged the mouth piece of the gas mask, his eyes began to darken and shift into round lenses, and his skin burned to a dark coal color. Constantine's head limply fell backwards, and the grip on his cane loosened, causing the piece of wood to clatter on the floor. Silence stretched between May and the Doctor.

Feeling her heart break for the poor doctor, May moved first. The Doctor's gaze burned on her back as she picked up the fallen blanket and the cane. She sat the cane against the table's edge and then opened the blanket. She tucked it over the old man's shoulders and gave him a small sad smile. _Don't worry. You'll get better soon._

"Got anything to say now?"

May straightened and turned slowly back to the Doctor. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh don't you." He sneered crossing his arms. "So you're saying that your appearance and this sudden plague is all a coincidence."

"I don't kno-."

"Stop with the lies." The Doctor pointed towards the patients. "For their sake, you should tell me what is happening."

May's tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and she felt her face burn with shame. _I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do! Should I tell him? I should tell him but what if…what if?_

"Hello!" Jack voice called out. May's heart soared and the feeling of relief spread instantly across her body.

"Jack." She whispered with a grin.

"Hello?" A female's voice cried out causing the Doctor to turn.

"Rose?" the Doctor questioned with an expression of confusion. May took off running before the Doctor could stop her. With a sudden shot of adrenaline, all the aches and pains in May's body disappeared. As she burst through the double doors to her delight Jack was just turning the corner with a small blonde at his side.

"Jack!" she shouted causing said male to look up at her.

"Legs? What are you doing here?" the captain inquired but returned her smile with his own. May ran towards her friend and jumped into his arms which he had open before she even began running. She buried her head into his shoulder, and took a deep breath. Instantaneously, muscles she hadn't even known were tense, relaxed.

"You weren't on the ship when I got back." Jack mumbled into her shoulder. "I was worried."

Guilt once again crept into her heart. Pulling back, May searched his eyes for some kind of sign he knew she had run away. Nothing came to light. He just looked genuinely curious and worried about where she had been. _He hadn't read my note._

May smiled. "I went on a walk, like you asked."

Jack's brows raised as he looked past her. "With a backpack?"

"Provisions?" She replied doing her best to look innocent. Jack just smiled.

They pulled apart and Jack took May's hand in his.

"Good evening. Hope we're not interrupting." The captain extended his other hand, the one not holding onto May's, towards the Doctor. "Jack Harkness. I've been hearing all about you on the way over."

"He knows." Rose spoke before anyone else had a chance to speak. She grinned at the Doctor. "I had to tell him about us being Time Agents." May finally looked at the blonde fully taking in her appearance. Rose truly was…beautiful. It was no wonder the Doctor fell in love with her. She was short, but not as short as Martha. Wonderful smile, luscious lips, high cheek bones, perfect nose, and bright brown eyes. Rose must have broken some hearts in high school.

The Doctor nodded in understanding at Rose's subtle hint.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mister Spock." Jack clapped the time lord's shoulder before pulling May back towards the ward.

"Where have you been Legs?" he muttered quietly.

"I told you, I went for a walk." She mumbled back, looking away.

"In the middle of a London air raid?" He asked dubiously.

May shrugged. "Well, bombs weren't falling when I left."

Jack chuckled before letting go of her hand and snaking an arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad you're okay, Legs. You had me worried, seriously."

"I'm sorry." She replied genuinely. "Won't happen again."

He shook her shoulders. "Good. Now, what do you know about Mister Spock?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"What kind of feel do you get off of him? You've known him longer than me. Do you think he will make the sale? I know his partner is _very_ interested." He gave her one his flirty grins and wiggled his brows.

May scoffed. "Jack, no. Be serious. There is no sale."

"What do you mean?" Jack reared back and stared at her. "Then why are we here?"

Before May could answer the Doctor's booming voice answered from behind them. "Well Captain Jack Harkness that is a very good question. Why are you here? And why are _they_ here?" The Doctor shoved past them and opened the double doors revealing the room full of patients to Rose and Jack. Rose gasped in horror while Jack went white.

"What's going on here?" Jack asked as he glanced around.

The four of them entered the room, and the Doctor made a gesture toward Jack. "Why don't you have a look?"

Glancing at May, who meet his confused gaze with her hard one, Jack rolled up a sleeve revealing a tricorder watch. He walked toward one of the zombie patients and began scanning.

Jack grew paler by the second. "This just isn't possible." He then walked to another patient and scanned them too. "How did this happen?"

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" Asked the Doctor as he leaned against one the table with Rose at his side.

"What?" Jack shouted in confusion as he scanned a fourth patient.

"He said it was a warship." Rose replied for him, nodding towards Jack. "He stole it, parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's going to fall on it unless we make him an offer."

May didn't think the Doctor's face could get any harder than it already was, but like always, she was wrong.

"What kind of warship?"

"Does it matter?" Jack yelled running a hand through his hair nervously. "It's got nothing to do with this." He looked at May pleadingly, his expression heart crushing. May went to his side without hesitation and grabbed his hand in comfort.

"This started at the bomb site." The Doctor explained, looking absolutely livid. "It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?" Before Jack could speak May placed a hand on his chest.

"It's an ambulance." She stated glancing at the Doctor and Rose.

The Doctor snorted and sarcastically said, "Finally a piece of truth comes out her mouth."

"Hey!" Jack shouted, his face twisting in anger. "Lay off her! Legs had nothing to do with this. It was my idea." He let go of May's hand in order to type into his tricorder, and produced a hologram of the Chula ambulance.

"That's what you chased through the Time Vortex." Jack pointed at it. "It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable." May's heart twisted and turned her head away unable to look at Jack. It wasn't junk. "It's empty. I made sure of it." It wasn't empty. It had held so many memories for her. "Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you when I saw your time travel vehicle." Jack laughed and held up his hands. " _Love_ the retro look, by the way, nice panels." Jack lowered his hands and slumped his shoulders. "So I threw you the bait."

"Bait?" Rose inquired looking between Jack and the Doctor.

Jack groaned exasperated, and grabbed his head with both hands before turning away. "I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk."

"You said it was a war ship." She pointed out.

"They have ambulances in wars, sweetheart." He rolled his eyes at her. "It was a con. I was conning you. That's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents!" He eyed them both. "You're not, are you?"

Rose shook her head and glared at him with an expression of disgust. "Just a couple more freelancers."

"Oh. Oh! Should have known." Jack laughed but it was dry. "The way you guys are blending in with the local color. I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough, but U-Boat Captain?" Both Rose and the Doctor looked at each than back at Jack – offended.

Jack crossed his arms and looked at them both with finality. "Anyway, whatever's happening here has got nothing to do with that ship."

Rose looked around the room. "What is happening here, Doctor?"

"Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot." He replied sharply.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Some kind of virus converting human beings into these things. But why? What's the point?" As soon as the Doctor finished speaking, the zombie patients rose and turned their heads - all looking straight at the four. May screamed slightly, and moved behind Jack who instantly raised his arms in defense.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy? Mummy?" The zombie patients began to chant.

"What's happening?" Asked Rose who had moved closer towards the Doctor.

"I don't know." He replied looking around the room.

"They didn't talk before." May stated clinging onto Jack's lapels.

"Mummy. Mummy? Mummy!" They began climbing out of their beds and walking towards the four of them. Even the good doctor Constantine lifted out of his chair and hobbled towards them - stepping over his blanket. The Doctor and Jack began pushing the girls backwards.

"Don't let them touch you!" Shouted the Doctor.

"What happens if they touch us?" Rose asked, her expression terrified.

"You're looking at it." The Doctor glanced at the blonde before turning back towards the patients.

"Help me, mummy." Some called out. "Help me."

May closed her eyes and buried her head between Jack's shoulder blades.

"Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy. Mummy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got to confess that this was not a fun chapter write. Honestly, out of all of them, its my least favorite so far. I love the Doctor no matter what regeneration, but Nine...is just so HARD to get into. I had difficultly getting into his head. I tried my best to keep him in character though.
> 
> You all must be wondering why I had Nine handcuff May. Out of all the Doctors' he is the only one I could possibly seeing doing this. Just imagine it from his perspective. A woman, obviously from a different time period, coaxing the Empty Child to come with her without any obvious fear. So many people had been running away from this kid and she welcomes him with open arms? Bit suspicious. Then when he goes and confronts her - she lies. Badly, but she does it, which adds more suspicion. Plus she is trying to run away from him. What should a poor, no violence, Doctor do? The answer: chain her to him until he figures it all out.
> 
> :3
> 
> Well, that is what I thought anyway. I hope I haven't deter anyone off. It only gets better from here.
> 
> And don't worry, May's self-deprivation and skittishness goes away eventually.
> 
> love,
> 
> Kait


End file.
